Sanford woman recovering from rare flesh-eating bacteria infection; family grateful for life-saving care

SANFORD, N.C. (WNCN) — A Sanford woman is recovering from a rare infection that many people do not survive.

Two months ago, doctors raced to save the life of Tammy Russ, when she ended up in intensive care with necrotizing fasciitis, more commonly known as flesh-eating bacteria.

In early June, Kevin Russ says his wife, Tammy, went from feeling fine to near death in less than a day.

“Everything was fine — that was at five in the morning. She was chopping up peppers and onions for dinner that night,” he recalled.

By afternoon, she’d called to say she had some type of infection in her thumb where, Russ said, she’d removed a callus.

“Thirteen-and-a-half hours later, it had blown up,” he said, describing his wife’s hand. “It was all black and purple, just horrible looking, and I said, ‘You’re going to the emergency room,’ and she was really at death’s doorstep then. I couldn’t even hold her up.”

An ambulance rushed her to Central Carolina Hospital in Sanford.

“Luckily, when we got to the ER the doctor on duty knew immediately what the problem was,” said Russ. “She said it was necrotizing fasciitis, in simple terms flesh-eating bacteria.”

The infection is rare and life-threatening.

“It moves an inch an hour, so time was not on our side,” Russ explained.

He soon learned that even transferring his wife to a bigger hospital was too risky. He said he was told she wouldn’t survive the trip, but Russ is thankful the doctor treating his wife at Central Carolina knew all about the rare infection

“Luckily, Dr. Joy Hallmark knew exactly what needed to be done,” Russ said. “She said when she was in medical school, she’d done a lot of research on it.”

After days in a medically induced coma and several surgeries, Tammy Russ was stable enough to be flown to Duke Hospital where she received additional intense treatment.

She’s home now, and although she lost a thumb, Russ says she’s healing well, and the whole family is grateful for the doctors who saved her life.

“She got the best possible care,” he said.