Marie Trainer had just returned from the time of her life in the spring of 2019, having had a tropical vacation. Marie’s dog greeted her warmly when she returned home from vacation, despite her disappointment.

Her pet puppy usually greeted her with kisses, so the Ohio resident didn’t notice the small cut on her hand.

The days that followed Marie’s homecoming were completely unexpected, as her condition rapidly deteriorated.

Her husband, Matt Trainer, saw her health fast deteriorating and advised her to seek medical attention at a local hospital.

“I wasn’t feeling well and just got sicker and sicker,” Marie added.

After seeking medical assistance, Marie fell into a coma.

Investigations revealed that a bacteria known as Capnocytophaga canimorsus was the cause of Marie’s uncommon infection.

Medical specialists suspect the germs entered Marie’s immune system when her dog licked the open lesion on her hand.
This is because the bacterium is widely present in cats’ and dogs’ saliva.

While exceedingly rare, capnocytophaga bacteria can cause catastrophic complications such as sepsis, heart attack, renal failure, severe blood clots, and gangrene.

Fortunately, Marie survived the terrifying incident, but the amputation resulted in the loss of both her legs and arms.
Dr. Ajay Seth, who treated Marie, told Fox News that “it was just rapidly progressing where her hands and feet were turning black.”

Despite receiving instructions to amputate all four limbs at the torso, Dr. Seth remained committed to preserving as much as possible.

In the end, the Ohio mother had both of her legs amputated up to her knees, and physicians were able to salvage huge portions of her arms.
While the outcome is better than expected, Marie has had a difficult time.

“It’s been challenging,” she said. “Learning how to walk was the hardest thing, but I’m good; I’m doing good.”

Recently, Marie received myoelectric prostheses, enabling her to resume tasks like gardening.

“We see the light at the end of the tunnel; we just adjust what we have to do; it just takes more planning when we want to do something,” Marie’s husband explained.