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Patient Stories: The Faces of Antimicrobial Resistance

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Many patients and their families have suffered the debilitating effects of antibiotic-resistant infections. Indeed, many patients have lost their lives due to these infections. The compelling and heart-wrenching stories below engender a strong sense of urgency to address drug-resistant infections and the lack of new antibiotic development. If you would like to share your story, please contact Jennifer Morales.

Featured Patient Story 

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George Semakula

After six surgeries, a muscle flap, an orthopedic plate and four months of treatment with an experimental antibiotic for a drug-resistant infection in his leg, George Semakula has no sign of infection and is learning to walk on his own again. Read his story. 

 

View More Patient Stories 

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Kenna Van Kirk

What initially seemed to be a stomach bug for this 9 year-old turned out to be a MRSA infection that attacked her leg, lungs and heart..

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Braxe R.

A seemingly harmless ear infection turns into a life-threatening MRSA scare for a 2 ½ year old boy.

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Timothy Mok

A University of Kentucky pharmacy resident student falls sick from E. coli while at his residency rotation in Maryland.

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Meredith Littlejohn

A 19-year-old college hopeful and cancer survivor dies from an antibiotic-resistant infection.

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Brianna Strand

A woman from Washington with cystic fibrosis suffers years of worsening symptoms stemming from a skin infection.

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Mary Millard

After contracting an antibiotic-resistant infection, a woman from North Carolina faces surgery as a final treatment option.

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Simon Sparrow

In less than 24 hours, 15-month-old Simon passed away from an undiagnosed MRSA infection.

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Roger Poser

A man from Texas undergoes combination antibiotic therapy to combat an extremely antibiotic-resistant strain of Pseudomonas.

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Addie Rerecich

A healthy 11-year-old girl from Tucson, Ariz., who spent months in the hospital fighting several antibiotic-resistant infections and needed a lung transplant to save her life.

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Josh Nahum

A 27-year-old skydiving instructor in Colorado who died from an antibiotic-resistant Enterobacter aerogenes infection.

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Brock Wade

An active, sports-driven 9-year-old boy survives a terrifying invasive infection and pneumonia caused by MRSA.

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Rebecca Lohsen

A healthy 17-year old high school honor student and swimmer from Northern New Jersey who died of an MRSA infection.

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Bryce Smith

A healthy 14-month old from Santee, California who contracted MRSA and spent many harrowing weeks in the intensive care unit as doctors struggled to save his life.

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Joan Corboy

An Illinois woman nearly loses her life while struggling with a recurrent and drug-resistant C. difficile infection.

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Kate Wilson

Kate’s parents saved her life by bringing her into the emergency room following a staph infection.

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Peggy Lillis

A mom from Brooklyn dies from complications of a condition brought on by antibiotic use.

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Marcus Glover

A healthy man is infected with a disruptive digestive bacterium during shoulder surgery.

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Tatiana Chiprez Vargas

Just weeks after her wedding, Tatiana Chiprez Vargas began feeling ill and was admitted to the hospital. The doctors then found out she had contracted MRSA.

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Catherine Duff

An Indiana woman undergoes fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) to cure her recurring Clostridium difficile infections, saving her life.

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Natalie

A North Carolina woman has recurring complications from a chronic MRSA infection.

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Tenzin Lobsang Kunor

A college student from Wisconsin is diagnosed with tuberculosis and forced into isolation from his family and friends.

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David Ricci

A 19-year-old from the Seattle area battles several NDM-1 positive antibiotic-resistant infections as he recovers from a train accident that cost him his right leg.

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Carlos Don

A healthy 12-year old athlete from Southern California who died of pneumonia caused by an MRSA infection.

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Tom Dukes

A healthy and active father in Southern California whose life was torn apart by a painful and drug-resistant E. coli infection.

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Dee Dee Wallace

A Wisconsin woman nearly loses her leg, and her life, to MRSA.

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Ricky Lannetti

A healthy 21-year old football player at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania who contracted MRSA and did not survive the infection.

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Caroline Moore

After summiting Mt. Denali in 2013, Caroline Moore contracted a staph infection in her knee during surgery. Four years and eight surgeries later, Caroline is still awaiting a special knee replacement surgery to allow her to return to sports

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Nicholas Johnson

A healthy 12-year-old from Texas who nearly died from an MRSA infection.

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