Sanford woman nearly dies from flesh-eating bacteria after pulling hangnail

When Tammy Russ cut her thumb removing an ingrown hangnail, little did she know that she would nearly lose her life 24 hours later from a rare flesh-eating bacteria.

But thanks to the team at Central Carolina Hospital, she is alive and well today.

On June 7, Tammy’s thumb began swelling. Her daughter, Amber McDaniel, said her mother became so weak that she couldn't stand up.

After going to an urgent care center, they were unable to diagnose the problem.

An ambulance took her to the hospital where Dr. Joy Hallmark identified the problem.

Dr. Hallmark recently wrote a 12-page paper on the condition called necrotizing fasciitis, which is exactly what she ended up having.

Tammy had to undergo emergency surgery. Her thumb ended up being amputated.

“There was a 24-hour window, and we could have lost her,” her daughter said.

The hospital said Tammy's necrotizing fasciitis may have developed from group A Strep bacteria. There are only 700 to 1,200 such cases each year in the United States. Up to one in three people die from the infection.

Tammy’s husband, Kevin, was equally grateful when recalling the care his wife and family received.

“The staff ran into a textbook worst-case-scenario that not many people know how to care for," he said. "Everyone worked as fast as humanly possible. Those folks came through above and beyond. My wife would not be here living and breathing, if they were not as good as they are at what they do."

Kevin said the ICU team at Central Carolina Hospital was amazing.

"They were not going to lose her," he said. "I knew in my heart that they would keep her alive. They were great.”

Tammy's daughter was also grateful for the care her mom received.

“They saved my momma," she said.