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WEBVTT GARFIELD. DAYS LATER, HE AND HIS FAMILYKNEW SOMETHING WAS GRAVELYWRONG.WAYNE ATKINS TAKING SOME OF HISFIRST STEPS AT THE UNIVERSITY OFMIAMI HOSPITAL, MORE THAN AMONTH AFTER HIS FAMILY SAYS AHIKE IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS TOOKA NEAR-DEADLY TURN, ALL FROMSOMETHING THAT AT FIRST SEEMEDSO MUNDANE.WAYNE'S MOTHER, KAREN GAUDREAU,A NURSE, SPOKE TO NEWS9 FROMMIAMI, WHERE SHE'S HELPING HERSON THROUGH TREATMENT.>> HE PLAYED SOME SOCCER ANDREALLY NOTICED BLISTERS AND ANAREA OF REDNESS ON HIS SHIN.CHERISE: BUT THOSE BLISTERSTURNED OUT TO BE FAR MORESERIOUS THAN WAYNE COULD'VEIMAGINED.>> HE WENT TO THE HOSPITALTHINKING HE HAD A BLISTER THATMADE HIM SICK.CHERISE: THAT WASN'T THE CASE.DOCTORS DIAGNOSING WAYNE WITH AFLESH-EATING BACTERIA KNOWN ASGROUP-A STREP.BY THE TIME KAREN ARRIVED AT HERSON'S BEDSIDE IN THE HOSPITAL,THINGS WERE GOING DOWNHILL FAST.>> BY THE TIME I GOT TO MIAMITHAT NIGHT, HE WAS ALREADY ANDLIVER FAILURE, KIDNEY FAILURE,HE HAD ACUTE RESPIRATORYDISTRESS SYNDROME, WHERE YOURLUNGS TO WITH FLUID.CHERISE: WAYNE WAS THEN PUT IN ACOMA FOR TWO AND A HALF WEEKS,DURING WHICH DOCTORS CUT AWAYSKIN AND ADMINISTEREDANTIBIOTICS, AND THANKFULLYMANAGED TO GET AHEAD OF THEINFECTION.DOCTORS TELLING HIS FAMILY AGEAND GOOD HEALTH WERE ON WAYNE'SSIDE.>> THERE ARE MANY WORST-CASESCENARIOS.CHERISE: RIGHT NOW, WAYNE'SFAMILY TELLS US THERE'S NO DATESET AS TO WHEN HE CAN LEAVE THEHOSPITAL.HE'S EXPECTED TO RECEIVE SKINGRAFTS NEXT WEEK.AFTER THAT, HE'LL CONTINUE TO BEMONITORED AND CONTINUEREHABILITATION.MEANTIME, THEY SAY HE WASPROPERLY PREPARED FOR THE HIKE,WEARING THE RECOMMENDED SHOESAND SOCKS TO PREVENT THIS FROMHAPPENING.MEANTIME, BETH DALY FROMHEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TELLSUS THERE ARE ABOUT 700 TO1000 CASES OF THIS INFECTION INTHE COUNTRY EVERY YEAR.THIS PARTICULAR STRAIN IS THESAME ONE THAT CAN CAUSE STREPTHROAT.

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A south Florida man is on a long road to recovery after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria through blisters he got while hiking in the White Mountains. Wayne Atkins, 32, was visiting New England for a family wedding when they decided to hike Mount Garfield.Days later he and his family knew something was gravely wrong.Atkins has since taken some of his first steps since falling ill as he continues treatment at the University of Miami hospital.Atkins’ mother Karen Gaudreau, a nurse, spoke to News9 from Miami where she's helping her son through treatment."He played some soccer and really noticed some blisters and an area of redness on his shin,” she said.But those blisters turned out to be far more serious than Atkins and his family could've imagined."He went into the hospital thinking he had a blister that made him sick,” Gaudreau said.That wasn't the case. Doctors diagnosed Atkins with a flesh-eating bacteria known as Group A Strep.Health officials say that bacteria is naturally occurring in people, living in noses and throats, but is harmful if it gets into an open wound. By the time Gaudreau arrived at her son's bedside things in the hospital were going downhill fast. "By the time I got to Miami that night, he was already in liver failure, kidney failure, he went into this respiratory condition called acute respiratory distress syndrome where your lungs just fill with fluid,” Gaudreau said.Atkins was then put in a coma for two and a half weeks, during which doctors cut away skin and administered antibiotics and thankfully managed to get ahead of the infection.Doctors told his family, age and good health were on Atkins side. "He has his life, he has his leg. There are many more worse-case scenarios,” Gaudreau said.There's no date set as to when he can leave the hospital. He is expected to receive skin grafts next week, and after that he'll continue to be monitored and continue rehabilitation. Meantime, Gaudreau said he was properly prepared for the hike, wearing the recommended shoes and socks to prevent this from happening.Beth Daly from Health and Human Services told News9 there are about 700 to 1,000 cases of this infection in the country every year. This particular strain is the same one that can cause strep throat. Daly advised keeping wounds dry, clean and covered.