NEWLY WED
Evelyn was celebrating her recent wedding by going to watch her favourite singer – but the gig left her fighting for her life
When Evelyn Davis and her husband Elijah vowed to love one another in sickness and in health, they never would have anticipated the heartache that would unfold in their first year of married life.
After attending a concert in June 2022, Evelyn, 23, was rushed to hospital where she was horrified to learn that she had pneumonia and sepsis – which doctors believe she contracted at the gig.
Tragically, she fell into a coma and had to have all of her limbs amputated. But she was determined to prove her pessimistic doctor wrong and, after three months of intense therapy, Evelyn learned to walk again on her prosthetic legs. She now has bionic arms and is adamant the adversity she endured will not hold her back. She says, “At one point, I felt there wasn’t any point being here if I couldn’t do the things I love. But with the support of my amazing family, I’ve realised there isn’t much I can’t do.”
ORGAN FAILURE
Evelyn and her husband, physical therapy assistant, Elijah, 23, had only been married for a few months when disaster struck.
Evelyn, an admin assistant, from Texas, USA, who went to see her favourite band perform with a friend. says, “We were standing right by the stage and during the concert, a fan close by started spraying a mist from a machine. It was a white-ish, odourless fog and created a lovely atmosphere – the air became so hazy, but it was amazing!”
But over the following few days, Evelyn began to feel unwell. She says, “Five days after the concert, I woke feeling dreadful – Iwas shaking and my lungs felt heavy, I could hardly breathe, so Elijah rushed me to A&E. There, my blood pressure and heart rate dropped dangerously low as doctors carried out tests.
“A doctor confirmed I had pneumonia and sepsis. I fell into a coma for 16 days. When I eventually opened my eyes, I was surrounded by my dad, Steve, my mum, Tonya, and Elijah. Mum explained how I’d been in full organ failure and they feared I’d never wake up.”
FEAR
Tests confirmed that Evelyn contracted Legionnaires’ disease – alung infection you can get from inhaling droplets of water containing bacteria, which the doctors think Evelyn may have caught from the mist machine. This is because if certain systems that contain water aren’t maintained properly, legionella bacteria grows, creating Legionnaires’ disease.
Evelyn was given medicine to stabilise her blood pressure for 12 days, which diverted circulation to her vital organs. She explains
