Fort Worth Man Loses Feet, Fingers After Flu Complications

FORT WORTH, TX — One man who recently came down with the flu was faced with a fate none expect from such a common diagnosis. After his flu dissolved into septic shock, doctors were left with no choice but to amputate both of 51-year-old Brian Herndon's feet and nine of his fingers.

KXAS reports Herndon, who is still receiving medical care in the ICU unit of Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, was first diagnosed with the pneumonia on Jan. 4. Only one day later, Herndon was told he had the flu as well.

According to a report from WFAA, Herndon had no underlying medical conditions to cause worse-than-usual flu symptoms. His overall good health gave no suggestion that his fever would peak at 104.7 or that he would have trouble breathing.

Herndon was taken immediately to the emergency room, WFAA reports. Later, blood clots formed and worsened his condition.

KXAS reported Herndon was not given a flu shot, but that he was prescribed flu medication. He had not even started the prescription when he was rushed to the hospital.

Described as an "amazing man," Herndon suffered not only septic shock but also multi organ failure, his wife wrote on his GoFundMe campaign.

Moving forward, he will have to be fitted with prosthetics for both legs and for his hand.

Images on Herndon's GoFundMe campaign page suggest he is in good spirits. Seen smiling and posing with his wife while wearing a hospital gown, Herndon is hopefully on the road to recovery.

His GoFundMe campaign has raised $14,959 of the $40,000 goal.

On Sunday, an elementary school teacher from Weatherford died from flu complications. To date, 54 lives in Dallas county have been claimed by the virus as well. The death toll in Collin County has risen to 10; Tarrant County, 8; and Denton County, 5.

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