A TEACHER from Penygroes is raising funds for her brother-in-law, who has lost both legs due to a blood infection, to help pay for his medical expenses in America.
The head of science at Harlech’s Ysgol Ardudwy, Sara Edwards, received the sad news at the beginning of the year that her brother-in-law, Carwyn Edwards, 39, was suffering from Infective Endocarditis, which is a bacterial infection in the blood that settled on his mitral heart valve.
Carwyn, who has been living in Phoenix, Arizona, for the past 13 years, needed to have his left leg amputated above the knee and lost part of his lower leg because of the infection.
Sara, who is from Nantlle, near Penygroes, said: “On Wednesday, 27 January, we received a phone call from Banner University Hospital, Tucson, asking for a next of kin for Carwyn. Within 48 hours his family was by his bedside.
“Carwyn was suffering from Infective Endocarditis. Despite having renal failure and suffering mini strokes he hung on in there.
“They amputated his left leg above the knee and then his right leg below the knee. He also suffered a brain aneurysm and had to have brain surgery.
“He’s also had open heart surgery to replace a defective heart valve.”
Carwyn, who is originally from Anglesey, is currently in hospital in Phoenix where he is receiving hyperbaric chamber treatment to increase his blood oxygen levels which promotes healing.
“Doctors have given him two weeks to gain weight so that they can proceed with another surgery on his left leg,”added Sara
An online fund-raising page has been set up online which has so far received over £35,000.
Sara said: “The response we have had from the US and back home here has been overwhelming."
You can make a donation towards the cause by visiting the page at https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/carwynedwardsardudwy.
See the full story in this week’s Arfon/Dwyfor and Meirionnydd editions of the Cambrian News