It had started out as a mere splinter, but quickly devolved into a fight to save Ruben Pereyra's arm. On June 21, Pereyra was medevaced to Seattle's Harborview Memorial Hospital as he fought against a severe case of a flesh-eating bacteria known as necrotizing fasciitis. Now the Juneau Empire reports that Pereyra is recovering from surgery and has managed to keep his arm.
His wife, Ana Peryra, told the Juneau Empire that her husband is left-handed, and now his arm is "too stiff to use." With the skin grafts that have been performed over the last month, doctors have told the couple that it may take two years and an extensive rehabilitation before his arm is functional again.
But the good news is that Pereyra's bone and muscle is in good condition, and the spread of the bacteria has been halted. He's been released from Harborview, but will remain in Seattle for a month for daily care.
Now the couple worries that Ruben will not be able to keep his job as a school bus driver; they also worry that their insurance will not cover their medical expenses.
A trust account Alaska Man R.P. 2012 Trust, has been set up at Wells Fargo Bank, account number 7632926452, for donations to help cover medical expenses.
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