Marty's Story, Sydney, New South Wales
I had just returned home from a year 11 school ski trip and was back in class at Byron Bay High School when I felt a little ill, but nothing out of the ordinary. I had a headache, was lethargic and was aching when I was sent home from school early that day. My mother and I thought that I just had the flu or something similar as it was the right season, and on advice from a GP took some paracetamol and headed to bed.
I continued to become more ill and woke the next day covered in a purple rash. We rushed to the Byron Bay hospital and I was transferred to Lismore Base Hospital promptly. I was induced into a coma and the medical staff spent the next few days struggling to keep me alive.
As a result of the illness the blood flow to my feet and arms became progressively worse until the tissue started to die. My feet could not be saved and were both amputated just below the knee and it appeared that my hands were soon to follow.
The doctors managed to save my hands with great skill on their part and the help of a new drug at the time called Activated protein C, which helped the small vessels in my fingers to be cleared. I awoke from my coma 14 days after arriving at the doors of Byron Bay hospital and learnt that I had no feet. It was a shock at the time but frankly I was happy to still be amongst the living after the close call that I had.
I then began the long road to recovery at an inpatient rehabilitation facility in Lismore. I learnt to walk again and soon mastered my new prosthetic feet. I returned home around 4 months after heading home from school that day feeling sick, with a new lease on life.
I soon tried skiing out again on prosthetic feet, which started a love of ski racing that has seen me lucky enough to attend two Paralympics games and win a silver medal. The whole experience also inspired me to study medicine, as the great skill and prompt action of the doctors and nurses effectively saved my life, and that inspired me.
On top of all this, soon after losing my feet, I met my future wife at a music festival. We got married in June and life looks better than ever.
I now hope that I can have the same positive impact on someone’s life that all the staff that helped save me had on mine.
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Marty and Daria on their wedding day in June 2010 |
Marty winning silver at the winter Paralympics in Vancouver 2010 |
