A Kentucky mother of two who woke up from routine surgery to find she’d had a quadruple amputation shared a heartwarming photo of her youngest son helping feed her as she shared pictures of her missing legs for the first time.
Lucinda Mullins, 41, went in for kidney stone removal surgery but it got infected and became septic, resulting in her losing both of her legs and arms.
Mullins’ support system have shared updates on her condition since the operation took a dark turn. In a recent photo, her youngest son Easton helped feed her dinner.
The 41-year-old nurse has been moved to Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky where she will stay for several weeks before having any more surgery.
‘She made it Cardinal Hill today and even got to feel the tiny snow flakes on her face as she left UK. She’s more than ready for this next step and change of scenery for a few weeks,’ said Mullins’ sister Luci Smith in a Facebook post on Monday.
Lucinda Mullins, 41, went in for kidney stone removal surgery but woke up a quadruple-amputee shared a moving photo of her youngest son helping feed her
Mullins is pictured with her hair tied back and smiling with her medical care team
Mullins has put on a brave face throughout the life changing event, but after her first day of therapy she shared a photo of herself resting in her hospital bed, covered in bandages.
‘She had a great first day of therapy! She was so excited and did so well,’ said her friend, Heather Beshears, who set up Mullins GoFundMe page.
Another photo shows Mullins with her hair tied back, smiling with her medical care team.
When the kidney stone became septic she was first taken to Fort Logan Hospital in Stanford and from there to a University of Kentucky hospital in Lexington on an ambulance.
But doctors had to amputate both of her legs and informed her she would lose both of her arms below her elbows too.
Upon her arrival at Cardinal Hill, Beshears posted a photo on the GoFundMe page of Mullins and her husband DJ smiling from her hospital bed.
‘Keep praying, we’re one step closer to having her home,’ said Smith.
Mullins told LEX 18: ‘I’ve lost my legs from the knees down bilaterally and I’m going to lose my arms probably below the elbow bilaterally.’
After her first day of therapy at Cardinal Hill she shared a photo of herself resting in her hospital bed, covered in bandages
The 41-year-old nurse is pictured being kissed on the cheek by her sister and friend. Mullins has been moved to Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky
Mullins has put on a brave face throughout the life changing event and shared a hospital bed selfie with her husband DJ
‘The doctor I used to work with, he kind of was like, ‘This is what they had to do to save your life. This is what’s happened.”
When asked how she was staying upbeat, Mullins said: ‘I just said these are the cards I’ve been dealt and these are the hands I’m going to play.’
‘I’m just so happy to be alive. I get to see my kids. I get to see my family. I get to have my time with my husband. Those are minor things at this point.’
Apart from her family and friends, the mother also found support within her community.
‘At one time I think they told 40 people were in the waiting room here. The calls and the texts, the prayers and the things people have sent. The little words of encouragement.’
‘I just can’t fathom that people are doing things like that for me,’ Mullins said while in hospital.’
As the former nurse prepares for rehab, physical therapy and prosthetics, a GoFundMe page has been set up for her to deal with medical bills.
Lucinda Mullins, 41, a mother of two boys, went for a regular kidney stone surgery which became infect and went septic – causing her to lose both of her legs and arms
As the former nurse prepares for rehab, physical therapy and prosthetics, a GoFundMe page has been set up for her to deal with medical bills
Mullins said: ‘I’m just so happy to be alive. I get to see my kids. I get to see my family. I get to have my time with my husband’
Beshears set up the crowdfunding page and wrote: ‘Cindy, as most of her friends call her, is a lovely, caring, brave and beautiful young lady who has recently experienced a life-changing tragedy that will leave her as a quadruple amputee.
‘Cindy and her family will have to make a few adjustments to their home to accommodate Cindy’s needs as well as her prosthetics and adaptive equipment.
The costs of all of this can be overwhelming. We started this fundraiser because we want to support our hero Cindy, as well as her husband DJ who has been by her side every step of the way.’
The fundraiser has raised $173,768 out of its $250,000 goal.