(Video courtesy of NBC) GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Alto man who underwent four amputations after a rare case of strep throat threatened his life shared his story on NBC News’ “Today” show Friday.
In late 2016,Kevin Breen came down with strep. The infection spread to his abdomen, and he got sicker and sicker. His organs started failing. In an effort to save those organs, his body redirected blood flow to them. But it sacrificed his hands and feet and the tissue died. Breen needed four amputations: both feet, a hand and all of his fingers on the other hand.
Breennever let it get him down, though. He was soon learning towalkon prosthetic legs. By the end of summer, he was playing with his kids and wakesurfing again. He was driving in about a year. He also got a cutting-edge bionic hand.
“I’ve always had a lot of energy. I’ve always been very independent,” Breen told “Today,” saying it was frustrating to lose that independence before the amputations. “She (wife Julie) gave me so much help and that’s part of why I want to be more independent, is to not make her do so much stuff.”
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