Imagine losing all four of your limbs due to a bacterial infection from something as innocent as your own pet dog’s saliva.
For one Ohio woman, this nightmare became a reality — but her story doesn’t end there. Five years later, Marie Trainer is reclaiming her life and showing the world what true resilience looks like.
Back in the spring of 2019, Marie had just returned from a tropical vacation when her German shepherd puppy welcomed her home with a few excited kisses, per Inside Edition.
Harmless, right? Except Marie had a small cut on her hand that she received from a hotel keycard. She didn’t think anything of it at the time, but within days, things took a terrifying turn.
“Four days later, I wasn’t feeling well and just got sicker and sicker,” she recalled, per Fox8. Her husband, Matt Trainer, thought it was the flu and rushed her to the hospital. But what doctors found was something far worse.
Marie had contracted a rare and deadly bacteria called capnocytophaga canimorsus, found in dog and cat saliva. The bacteria triggered her immune system into overdrive, causing massive blood clots that cut off circulation to her limbs.
“It was just rapidly progressing where her hands and feet were turning black,” explained Dr. Ajay Seth, the orthopedic surgeon who would later perform a life-saving but grueling operation on Marie.
The situation was dire. Marie was placed into a 10-day coma, and – when she woke up – her limbs had been amputated.
Doctors initially wanted to amputate all four limbs at the torso, which would have drastically limited Marie’s future mobility. But Dr. Seth wasn’t giving up. Determined to save as much of her limbs as possible, he spent more than seven hours removing over 40 blood clots to ensure she could eventually be fitted with prosthetics.
And while both of Marie’s legs had to be amputated above the knee, Dr. Seth managed to save most of her arms. If he hadn’t, Marie wouldn’t have survived much longer.
Fast forward five years, and Marie’s life looks dramatically different — but in the best way possible. After a tough recovery process, which was delayed even further by the pandemic, she’s stronger than ever. “It’s been challenging,” she admitted, “Learning how to walk was the hardest thing, but I’m good, I’m doing good.”