9-year-old girl loses arms, legs after severe strep throat infection
CTVNews.ca Staff
Published Friday, December 19, 2014 6:10PM EST
Last Updated Friday, December 19, 2014 6:26PM EST Fundraising efforts are underway for a nine-year-old New Brunswick girl whose arms and legs were amputated after she became gravely ill in November.
Alyssa Sipley was an active nine-year-old in her hometown of Baie-Sainte-Anne, N.B., so when she became ill several weeks ago, her parents figured she had come down with the stomach flu.
“She wasn’t feeling well,” father Yves Sippley said. “And her mother gave her medications for the flu.”
They later learned Alyssa had type-A strep throat. For many, it’s a mild infection, but in Alyssa’s case, it became potentially deadly.
After her mother noticed bruising on the little girl’s body, Alyssa was rushed to a hospital in Miramichi, N.B. There, doctors quickly had the young girl airlifted to IWK Health Centre in Halifax.
“Basically her blood was clotting in her limbs,” her father told CTV Atlantic. “It was clotting everywhere really. There wasn’t anything that wasn’t affected.”
Doctors initially gave Alyssa a 5 per cent chance of survival. Those odds have now increased to 95 per cent, but with tremendous cost.
“Both of her arms got amputated from the elbow,” older sister Caitlin Sippley said. “And one leg was from under the knee, and the other all the way up to the hip.”
Her family says Alyssa is now beginning to realize what happened to her.
“You can see that it really hurts her and it scares her,” Yves said. “And it breaks our heart to see her that way.”
The family says it’s difficult being so far away from home, but their community in the rural town of Baie-Sainte-Anne has provided a great deal of support.
“It’s really been amazing,” Yves said. “I never expected it. It’s really been overwhelming.”
As of Friday evening, more than $18,000 has been raised for the little girl on fundraising site GoFundMe.com.
Says Caitlin: “She’s going to have to get prosthetic limbs, and for adjustments around things. We’re going to have to adjust our house, and we’re going to have to adjust our car and all that.”
The family was hoping Alyssa would be home in time for the holidays, but it won’t be possible this year.
As Alyssa fights for life, her father says he’s proud of his little girl.
“She had a lot of love from her family and her community, and I think that also gave her some strength to fight, to keep fighting,” Yves said, his voice breaking with emotion.
Read more: 9-year-old girl loses arms, legs after severe strep throat infection | CTV News
That poor child.
CTVNews.ca Staff
Published Friday, December 19, 2014 6:10PM EST
Last Updated Friday, December 19, 2014 6:26PM EST Fundraising efforts are underway for a nine-year-old New Brunswick girl whose arms and legs were amputated after she became gravely ill in November.
Alyssa Sipley was an active nine-year-old in her hometown of Baie-Sainte-Anne, N.B., so when she became ill several weeks ago, her parents figured she had come down with the stomach flu.
“She wasn’t feeling well,” father Yves Sippley said. “And her mother gave her medications for the flu.”
They later learned Alyssa had type-A strep throat. For many, it’s a mild infection, but in Alyssa’s case, it became potentially deadly.
After her mother noticed bruising on the little girl’s body, Alyssa was rushed to a hospital in Miramichi, N.B. There, doctors quickly had the young girl airlifted to IWK Health Centre in Halifax.
“Basically her blood was clotting in her limbs,” her father told CTV Atlantic. “It was clotting everywhere really. There wasn’t anything that wasn’t affected.”
Doctors initially gave Alyssa a 5 per cent chance of survival. Those odds have now increased to 95 per cent, but with tremendous cost.
“Both of her arms got amputated from the elbow,” older sister Caitlin Sippley said. “And one leg was from under the knee, and the other all the way up to the hip.”
Her family says Alyssa is now beginning to realize what happened to her.
“You can see that it really hurts her and it scares her,” Yves said. “And it breaks our heart to see her that way.”
The family says it’s difficult being so far away from home, but their community in the rural town of Baie-Sainte-Anne has provided a great deal of support.
“It’s really been amazing,” Yves said. “I never expected it. It’s really been overwhelming.”
As of Friday evening, more than $18,000 has been raised for the little girl on fundraising site GoFundMe.com.
Says Caitlin: “She’s going to have to get prosthetic limbs, and for adjustments around things. We’re going to have to adjust our house, and we’re going to have to adjust our car and all that.”
The family was hoping Alyssa would be home in time for the holidays, but it won’t be possible this year.
As Alyssa fights for life, her father says he’s proud of his little girl.
“She had a lot of love from her family and her community, and I think that also gave her some strength to fight, to keep fighting,” Yves said, his voice breaking with emotion.
Read more: 9-year-old girl loses arms, legs after severe strep throat infection | CTV News
That poor child.
