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Community rallies behind Boise man diagnosed with flesh-eating disease

Posted at 3:31 PM, Jun 03, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-04 14:02:20-04

BOISE — Scott Mattison is a loving husband and father to three kids, ages 4, 6 and 7. He also lives an active lifestyle, intending to hike every high point in each state, completing an impressive number already.

"Of the states, thirty-something, 32," said Scott Mattison.

When he developed flu-like symptoms, he had no way of knowing it would lead to a mountain of medical hurdles to climb.

"I told Robyn I was going to Uber to the ER because the kids were in bed already and she needed to stay, but I was like I'm not going to make it to the morning, it was that bad," said Scott.

The flu test came back negative, however. "At some point, maybe 5 am, this bright purple spot showed up on my leg and it hasn't been there an hour before," said Scott.

That's when the mood shifted, and he received a life-changing diagnosis. "He told me, flesh-eating bacteria," said his wife, Robyn Mattison.

Within hours, he went into septic shock. After nearly a dozen surgeries in Boise to stop the Necrotizing Fasciitis from spreading, he was life-flighted to Utah in a medically induced coma for 17 days.

"I basically have my entire right leg is skin grafted, and my entire left side is where they took the skin from," said Scott.

Robyn tried to keep life normal for their three kids, often spending hours by her husband's side and then making it back home for dinner, then returning to the hospital.

"My watch said I stood 21 hours three days in a row," said Robyn.

However, this isn't a prognosis they're tackling alone. Family, friends, and strangers set up a daily meal train, coworkers donating hours, and their house painted for free.

"Once I found out exactly what was going on with him, there was no way I could charge for that," said the owner of Honorable Painting Daniel Miller, who painted their bedroom free of charge.

Today Scott is learning to live a new normal. Now, the challenge is managing the 2 hours of wound care they do daily.

"Roll that up on him, one leg at a time, and we actually make a jumpsuit out of it, so it's all the way up to his shoulders to keep everything tight," said Robyn.

With the support of their family and their community, Scott has no plans to give up or slow down; he's going to keep looking up.

"I'm hopeful," said Scott, "I know the wounds will heal."

If you'd like to assist with medical costs, the family set up a GoFundMe page you can access here.