Mother-of-three, 34, loses her EYES and part of her brain just 7 months after dream wedding as surgeons fight to save her from rare fungal infection

An Arizona mother-of-three is fighting for her life and has lost her eyes and part of her brain after she contracted a rare fungal infection 12 weeks ago.

Jessica Weldon, 34, from Queen Creek, started experiencing symptoms of a sinus infection in September and, despite taking medication, it wasn't getting any better.

When she went to the hospital to be examined, doctors discovered she actually had a rare fungal infection that was quickly spreading.

Weldon has lupus, leaving her immune system unable to fight off the infection, and she was told she wouldn't survive.

However, after 11 surgeries including one that removed both of her eyes and a piece of her brain, surgeons have been left stunned that she is still alive.

Seven months ago, Weldon married her longtime partner and father of her children, Chris, in a dream wedding.

But, in early September, when Weldon first visited the hospital, doctors thought she may be experiencing a complication from her lupus, Chris told Fox 10.

Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that causes the body's immune system to attack your own tissues and organs.

After performing a tissue sample, doctors determined she had mucormycosis and had her transported to the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix.

Mucormycosis is a rare, fungal infection that occurs after inhaling spores from the air or entering the skin through a cut or scrape.

These organisms can be found in soil, leaves, compost or rotting wood.

The fungus does not have ill effects in healthy adults, but can wreak havoc on people with compromised immune systems.

Symptoms first manifest as a sinus infection, fever, and headache. However, if the infection spreads, it can cause tissue loss in the palate, septum, nose, and eye.

If it spreads to the lungs or brain, it can result in seizures, paralysis, pneumonia, and even death.

According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, the infection occurs in 1.7 per 1,000,000 people.

Early diagnosis and treatment is critical with treatment usually consisting of anti-fungal medications and surgery.

No national surveillance of mucormycosis exists in the US, but a 2005 review of published cases found an overall all-cause mortality rate of 54 percent.

Because of Weldon's compromised immune system due to lupus, her body was unable to fight off the fungal infection.

According to the National Resource Center on Lupus, an estimated 1.5 million Americans live with the disease.

Among those suffering are singers Lady Gaga and Selena Gomez, who revealed her diagnosis in 2016.

The internal inflammation can affect several different body parts including your skin, blood cells, kidneys and lungs.

So far, doctors have had to remove both of Weldon's eyes, her top teeth, the palate of her mouth and a small section of her brain.

She has undergone 11 surgeries since being admitted to the hospital, but Chris says the doctors are 'cautiously optimistic' about her prognosis.

'Doctors seven weeks ago said this has a 100 percent mortality rate, but we've been praying,' he told Fox 10.

'We have so many people praying for us, praying for Jess, and she's hanging in there. She's a fighter.'

The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover Weldon's medical costs. So far, more than $23,000 has been raised out of a $125,000 goal.

Источник The Daily Mail

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