A few weeks ago, 30-year old Anna Norquist was perfectly happy and healthy. She was on her way back from a concert in Chicago on December 14th when she felt the onset of flu-like symptoms.
Now she lays in a hospital bed after more than 10 surgeries, including amputations on all four limbs.
No one knows how she contracted Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) and they probably never will, but answers won’t help her devastating situation.
Toxic shock syndrome is rare, but life-threatening. It’s a complication that can develop after a person contracts a bacterial infection, usually from Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria, or group A streptococcus (strep) bacteria (the latter is what caused Anna’s TSS). The condition used to be associated with some super-absorbent tampons, but this is rare now that many products have been pulled from the shelves. This condition can affect anyone at any age.
Doctors have called Anna’s survival up to this point an absolute miracle, but her family is still holding out for recovery.
“Her vital signs when she got to IU Methodist- the doctors and the nurses all said it was the worst they’ve ever seen. And she still lived through it. Everybody- all the nurses and doctors all said that she shouldn’t have survived,” said her brother Patrick.
Even under the best circumstances, she will be hospitalized for the next 4-6 months, with more surgeries to come.
In the meantime, her family has set up a GoFundMe page to assist with her medical expenses, which they expect to total anywhere from $350,000 to $1 million. They report:
“She has had compartmental surgery on both of her arms and both of her legs. She is sliced open from head to toe. At best, she will have multiple surgeries and multiple amputations. They will be life altering.”
So far they’ve raised a little over $80,000.
Anna’s family is devastated, and they know the road to acceptance will be hard for the former gymnast who had recently found her dream job of working as a gymnastics teacher in South Bend, Indiana.
Anna’s brother Patrick continues to update well-wishers from around the world on her condition, but the news has been grim.
On Christmas Eve, he shared his most heart-wrenching update yet:
“She has her right arm amputated above the elbow, her left arm amputated below the elbow, her left leg amputated just below the knee, and is scheduled to have her right leg amputated on Wednesday. She is in excruciating pain with every movement she makes and every time the doctors or nurses touch her.”
While Anna is awake, she appears not to be aware of exactly what’s going on:
“She asked for her phone today even though she knows she has no fingers to use. She is still quite awake but it’s hard to tell how aware she is. The medical team thinks that she won’t remember any of this due to all the surgeries, medication, and stress on her body and mind, even though she is awake and talking.”
They also received a devastating blow from her insurance company:
“We just found out that her insurance isn’t paying a dime for any of this so any contribution helps…She still has many surgeries to endure and they are all still life threatening. The medical team said she will be in the hospital for at least six months. And her recovery will take years.”
But on Christmas Day, Anna showed some of her former spark, even joking with visiting family about her condition:
“Some of our family made the trip to see Anna today and her first words were, “I’d hug you but I don’t have any arms”
In his most recent update on December 27th, Patrick reported:
“My sister is officially a quad amputee. Anna had her right leg amputated today. She made it through surgery successfully…
She is finally resting. We are grateful she has three joints. It makes prosthesis and functionality much easier. She had her last dialysis treatment today. The kidney doctor said her kidneys are finally able to function on their own. That is a huge victory.”
It’s amazing to see someone’s life change so drastically in the blink of an eye. It’s been an unthinkably hard holiday season for the Norquist family, but they’re committed to surrounding Anna with love and support.
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