Mother loses all four limbs after routine kidney stone surgery

The woman said the surgery was necessary to save her life after she developed sepsis

Cindy Mullins, 41, recovering in a hospital bed following surgery (GoFundMe)

A Kentucky woman had all her limbs amputated after suffering complications from kidney stone surgery last month.

Doctors had to take drastic action after Cindy Mullins, 41, developed an infection that made her septic. She was subsequently rushed to the hospital in Lexington and sedated.

When she eventually woke up, both her legs had been amputated. The mother of two and former healthcare worker had her arms amputated in a separate surgery. She said the procedures were necessary to save her life.

“I just said these are the cards I’ve been dealt and these are the hands I’m going to play,” she told WLEX. “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.”

A GoFundMe launched to help the mother with expenses related to prosthetics, rehab and physical therapy has so far raised nearly $200,000 out of a $250,000 goal. According to the fundraising site, Ms Mullins has already started physical therapy.

She told the outlet that she hopes people can learn from her story.

“Slow down. Appreciate the things around you, especially your family. It’s OK to let people take care of you,” she said.

The Mayo Clinic says that sepsis is when the body responds improperly to an infection, which can ‘damage the lungs, kidneys, liver and other organs.”