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Pitt Meadows mother faces amputations

After fighting for her life against an infection that attacked her internal organs, daycare operator will lose her hands and feet.
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Danielle Linfoot and Shawn Evans on the pier in White Rock.


After fighting an infection that almost took her life, a Pitt Meadows mother of two will lose her hands and feet.

Danielle Linfoot will lose both of her hands, amputated below the elbow. Her legs will be amputated one below the knee, and one above.

Her common law husband of 21 years, Shawn Evans explained the ordeal that began eight weeks ago.

Linfoot had eczema on her leg, and was suffering from the flu. She complained that the leg was hurting. Her doctor believes the flu bug lowered her immune system, and when she scratched her leg, a streptococcus infection entered her blood stream.

"Within hours, it started shutting down everything," said Evans.

He had stayed home with his wife, and called the ambulance as she became more ill. Linfoot was taken to Ridge Meadows Hospital in ambulance, put on life support, and then transferred to Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre.

She was on life support for 10 days. Doctors admitted they were losing the battle against the infection, and told Evans he should continue to hope, but to say his goodbyes.

He was talking to her out loud, in tears, when his wife's vital signs picked up.

"I was saying goodbye to her, and her monitor stats that had been low for days … as I was talking to her, her heart rate went up."

A nurse came into the room behind him, telling him to keep talking, because whatever he was saying, was helping. It marked the start of her recovery, he said.

"She started getting a little better every day."

The tissue of her hands and feet did not survive the infection.

Evans had been prepared by his doctor that Linfoot might have to re-learn how to read, and might not even remember her family. But her memory loss was limited to the events surrounding her ordeal.

"She woke up and said 'Hello.'"

There was fear that her tongue may have to be amputated, but that and damage to her face healed.

Evans said his wife is grateful to be able to see her 16-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son become adults.

"She feels she's lucky to be alive."

Ashley De Santis is part of a group of mothers whose children attended the Stepping Stones Daycare in Pitt Meadows, which Linfoot ran before she got sick, and who are now fundraising to try and help her to get the best prosthetics possible.

"She's amazing. A great person, wife, mother and daycare provider, and our kids miss her dearly," said De Santis. "She treats our kids like her own."

But she has a long road ahead of her.

The online fundraising effort they put together has so far raised more than $39,000.

Evans works for the city of Port Coquitlam, and some of his co-workers donated their time off to him.

"They gave up their holidays so I could have more time with our family."

"The generosity of people is unbelievable," said Evans.

• The online campaign can be found at gofundme.com, with the search helpdanielle21.

 

 

 

 



Neil Corbett

About the Author: Neil Corbett

I have been a journalist for more than 30 years, the past decade with the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News.
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