http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3649704 UNC Asheville senior Kenny George had part of his right foot amputated, a source confirmed to ESPN.com. The source said the amputation, which occurred three weeks ago, was the result of George's battle with MRSA, a difficult to treat and sometimes life-threatening antibiotic-resistant staph infection. The Asheville Citizen Times first reported the story. In August, George returned to his Chicago home from Pete Newell's Big Man Camp in Las Vegas with an infection in his foot. Doctors there suggested that George immediately see a specialist. He's been hospitalized in Iowa since then, the source said, enduring several surgeries and at one time battling for his life. He's expected to remain in the hospital for at least another month. MRSA is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact through openings in the skin. Last month UNC Asheville said that George would not play this semester because of a foot infection but did not release further details. George, at 7-foot-7 college basketball's tallest player, averaged 12.4 points and seven rebounds for the Bulldogs last season. The Big South's defensive player of the year, he led them to a school record 23 wins. Coach Eddie Biedenbach declined to comment about the specifics but said he expects George to return to campus next semester and complete his degree in mass communications. "This is a terrible setback for his basketball life but there is so much more to him than basketball,'' Biedenbach said.
That's the exact same reaction I just had now when I looked at the title. ahhhhhhh................... damn =[
You guys should (or should not) try searching for MRSA on google images. It looks pretty nasty. I would post pics here but they're somewhat discusting.
I just did. All I have to say is DAMN. Good luck to him, even if he won't be able to play basketball again at least maybe he can live.
There goes any hope of a George Ming front court but seriously, I just pray for his physical and mental well-being--terrible news
that is a sad story, he's going to have a tough time deaaling with this transition. skin-to-skin contact? i don't mean to play light of the situation, but is the guy playing footsie with other MRSA sufferers?
MRSA is just an ultra resistant form of a Staph infection. So its not like there was a guy sitting there with a gaping wound and he decided to go stick his toe in; it was probably incidental (which makes these cases so common). I don't know about you guys, but i suspect Kevin Winslow of the Cleveland Browns was trying to bring light to the prevalence of Staph infections in their facilities; maybe they have MRSA there too? I really hope someone formally addresses these issues as a whole so that this doesn't blow up in our face later on.
Is he diabetic? If he recovers, and assuming he had an open transmetatarsal amputation, he might be able to play again.
did the article say he is a diabetic? it baffles me that the article is right there and it says the reason for the amputation. it also says his basketball career is pretty much over. maybe he will join the battle for MRSA awareness
