Oklahoma man, 31, loses both legs following frisbee injury that nearly cost him his life
In October of last year, Dylan Riley was playing frisbee golf with friends on a bright Oklahoma City day when a small misstep changed his life forever, as reported by People.
He brushed it off, calling himself “a klutz,” not knowing this seemingly minor injury would soon lead to a life-threatening health crisis.
Two weeks later, Riley woke up feeling achy and feverish, with symptoms like vomiting and chills. Thinking he had the flu, he took a hot bath to ease the symptoms, but upon stepping out, found he couldn’t move.
He screamed for his roommate, who immediately called an ambulance. The next thing Riley remembers is paramedics speaking to him – before he blacked out completely.
“He came into our hospital severely sick, on death’s doorstep practically,” said Dr. Bob Schoaps, Medical Director for Specialty Critical Care and Acute Mechanical Circulatory Support at Integris Health.
According to Schoaps, streptococcus, the bacteria responsible for common strep throat, had entered Riley’s bloodstream, triggering toxic shock.
As his organs began to fail, Riley’s heart stopped twice, and doctors fought to revive him.
“If Dylan would’ve stayed home a couple more hours, it’s very likely he would not have survived,” Schoaps said. “With his level of illness, we estimate his survival chances at 10% or less.”
Riley’s mother, Trina White, who works as an infectious disease nurse, was devastated. Recalling the hospital staff’s suggestion of life support, she said: “As a mother, it’s your worst nightmare. I said, ‘Do what you have to do and save my son.’”
To save Riley, doctors put him on a veno-arterial ECMO machine, which kept his heart and lungs functioning but restricted blood flow to his limbs.
As a result, Riley’s extremities, deprived of oxygen, began to die, and doctors warned his family that he might require amputations.
When Riley regained consciousness days later, his mother began preparing him for the worst, explaining that the machine had saved his life but cost him significant tissue loss.
“I told him no matter what, we still loved him,” she said. At first, White worried her son might resent the decision that ultimately led to his limb loss, but her fears eased when Riley reassured her: “Mom, it doesn’t matter. The main thing is I’m still here.”
As he waited for amputation surgery, Riley dealt with painful side effects, like peeling skin and a loss of taste.
Yet he remained resilient, often making jokes to lighten the mood, especially as doctors prepared him for the leg amputations that would be scheduled just before Christmas.
After surgery, Riley shared a picture of his newly bandaged legs, jokingly comparing himself to the legless Gingerbread Man from the movie Shrek.
“I always had a really dark sense of humor,” he said.
In January, Riley’s hands were partially amputated. Surgeons were able to save part of his right palm and portions of his fingers, allowing him to maintain some functionality.
“I can still grab a pencil and write,” he said. “But I can’t hold power tools like I used to.”
In May, Riley received prosthetic legs through the Limbs for Life Foundation and immediately began rehab, determined to adapt quickly to his new life.
