A 41-year-old woman named Cindy Mullins woke up in the hospital with no legs.
Despite the instant and drastic life change, Mullins was grateful to be alive and see her children grow.
She hopes her story will inspire people as she prepares for her new normal.
Cindy Mullins, a 41-year-old mother of two who had gone to the hospital for another medical issue, had to quickly adjust to a new reality when she woke up in the hospital with no legs. Mullins was getting treatment when her kidney stone got infected so badly that she became septic.
The mother of two was first rushed to Fort Logan Hospital in Stanford; then an ambulance took her to a U.K. Hospital in Lexington, where she woke to the news that she would be losing all her limbs. The long-time nurse was reportedly calm when she received the news.
She called it the “perfect storm.” Mullins was still grateful that she would be able to live and see her children grow, so losing her life was not an option. Mullins expressed, “I’m just so happy to be alive. I get to see my kids. I get to see my family. I get to have my time with my husband. Those are minor things at this point.”
Mullins has been with her husband, DJ since she was 17 and has had his support throughout this terrifying experience. However, the family also realized they were loved beyond their immediate family. Since the news of Mullins’ condition spread around their community, they have had people come in large numbers trying to help them financially.
There has reportedly been about $60,000 donated, and at one point, the 41-year-old had about 40 people in the waiting room, patiently waiting to see her, along with an overflowing amount of text messages, phone calls, and gifts.
Mullins has been in complete awe of the support she has received from people. “I just can’t fathom that people are doing things like that for me,” she said. Despite how scary it must have been for the nurse to hear she would lose all her limbs, she was still happy to have had kind doctors who did everything they could to keep her alive.
The mother of two stays positive throughout the process and hopes her story will inspire people. “Slow down. Appreciate the things around you, especially your family. It’s okay to let people take care of you,” advised Mullins. She will be dealing with the many changes that will come with her new reality as she goes to rehab, physical therapy, and gets her prosthetics.
A GoFundMe page has been created to help the mother of two and her family cover the costs that may come with this new life. Mullin’s loved ones have described her as a caring, brave, and beautiful hero who deserved to have her burden eased.
Her loved ones understand that Mullins’ life might feel like it has taken a complete standstill, but they wanted her family to know that as life continues, they will have these funds to make a load of changes coming their way feel a bit lighter.
Mullin’s GoFundMe page has raised over $250,000. Her loved ones are hoping for enough funds to help the nurse focus on her recovery and to limit as many of her worries as possible.
The support the family has received thus far has been overwhelming, and the Mullins could not be more thankful to everyone involved. A recent update by Mullin’s sister, Luci Hatfield Smith, revealed that the nurse was now learning to use a mobility scooter.
Her sister said she was in rehab, where she went in unable to move her arms and legs but was now able to even scroll through her phone using her elbow. Mullins has continued to show a lot of strength as she navigates her new life.
If you enjoyed this story, here is another inspiring story about a girl who became the first woman to model with a 100-pound leg after feeling “ugly” her whole life.
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