NPR

Did An IV Cocktail Of Vitamins And Drugs Save This Lumberjack From Sepsis?

A 51-year-old man nearly died from septic shock, when a crushing injury led to overwhelming infection. After getting an experimental treatment, he's recovering well, but some doctors want more proof.
Kristopher Kelly near his home in Concrete, Wash., in February. He broke his pelvis and all his ribs in a work accident last year. The resulting infection he developed in the hospital almost killed him.

This story of a man who nearly died in the hospital actually started in the woods of Washington's Cascade Mountains last summer.

"I was cutting for a logging outfit up on these rock cliffs and I felled a 150-foot fir tree into [some] maple trees," says Kristopher Kelly, a 51-year-old lumberjack. The maples "had a bunch of dead tops — they call 'em widow makers," Kelly says. "You don't want to get under them because they'll make you a widow."

And when the top of the fir tree crashed into those maples, he says, the

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
Got Brothers Or Sisters? Warm Sibling Bonds Help Booster Happiness As You Age
Researchers have found that a warm, close bond with a sibling in early adult life is predictive of good emotional health later in life, with less loneliness, anxiety and depression.
NPR4 min read
We Asked, You Answered: Let's Make A Toast To The Ways You Keep Calm And Carry On
Our readers responded to our callout, sharing the strategies they use to lift their spirits in the face of setbacks and woes. And yes, one way is: A jam happy face on toast!
NPR3 min readInternational Relations
World Central Kitchen Says It Will Resume Operations In Gaza
The aid group said the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire and that it has almost 8 million meals ready to distribute. The group halted efforts after Israeli strikes killed seven workers.

Related Books & Audiobooks