Health4 min(s) read
A mom revealed how she reacted after being forced to have all of her limbs amputated following what was meant to be a routine operation.
Kentucky native Lucinda Mullins went into the hospital for routine kidney stone surgery in December 2023, with no real cause for concern.
The 43-year-old then suffered septic shock, which is a life-threatening reaction to an infection where your immune system overreacts and damages tissues and organs.
Lucinda then had no other choice but to have her legs amputated, as well as her hands and forearms, so her life could be saved.
But in a discussion with the Daily Mail back in 2024, she said that this wasn't a "sad story," stating: "This has a happy ending. I'm alive. I get to be with my children and my husband."
Reflecting on the moment she found out her limbs were amputated, she admitted: "Surprisingly, I wasn't upset, I didn't question it. I wasn't angry.
"I know there will be hard times ahead, but just knowing I could see my kids again and that I had the support of my family, I think that gave me peace to be okay with it.
"I said, shoot it to me straight. I want to know it all. He explained what they had to do to save my life, that I was going to have surgery the next day to lose my legs.
"And I was at peace. I was okay with it. There was just this presence of God around me that told me this is all going to be okay.
"I was alive, and I got to see my family again and my friends. And if that was a sacrifice that I had to make, you know, I was fine with it.
"That was the only way to save my life, and I never questioned it. I just felt that God chose me for this to happen and he was going to use me in a big way. We're not done with our story yet."
Despite the setback, she set the goal of getting back to her job as a certified medical assistant at Bates, Miller & Sims, a local family practice.
Since then, she has gone on to enjoy a full life with her family, as her GoFundMe helped to raise funds for a 7,000 sq ft accessible smart home for her family in just 10 days.
In June, she took to the page to announce that she had a bill passed, called Senate Bill 97.
"This will give people with private insurance an opportunity to have more than one prosthetic device," she explained, giving her gratitude to donors, supporters, legislators, and the governor.
Her husband, DJ, 45, and sons Teegan and Easton, live in Waynesburg.
"Easton's more of a mama's boy. He doesn't leave her side," DJ told the publication, adding at the time: "He helps feed her, brushes her hair, he's got to sleep right beside her. He's keeping a close eye on her for sure.
"The older one, he's had a lot of questions, of course, which we all have. But he's done well with it."
DJ admitted that he feared the worst following the surgery, saying: "They said she was on the edge of a cliff and it was about to get worse. A whole week passed and she wasn't moving, wasn't talking, wasn't responding."
Luckily, she would regain consciousness before moving to the UK Hospital located in Lexington, while on a ventilator, to assist her heart and lungs.
To donate to the family's GoFundMe, click here.
