Woman Who Underwent Quadruple Amputation After Her Limbs ‘Mummified’ Thought She Just Had A Cold

A teacher believed she was merely dealing with a typical cold until her condition drastically worsened, leading to a quadruple amputation later on.

Sherri Moody, a seasoned high school teacher, was on a routine field trip, something she had experienced many times before.

While at an amusement park for a work event in April 2023, she started feeling sick. Like most people might, she initially didn't think much of it.

But soon after, the 51-year-old's flu-like symptoms got worse to the point where she had to wake her husband up and tell him she needed to go to the emergency room.

Sherri Moody with husband David. Facebook / Sherri Moody

The suburban Houston resident from Texas said to TODAY, "I've never visited the ER before in my life. I was in excellent health and condition. I ate well and worked out."

After a night of vomiting and breathing difficulties, she made the decision to consult a doctor, which would ultimately save her life.

She had, at some point, come into contact with Streptococcus bacteria, which caused double pneumonia, which gripped both of her lungs.

Sadly for Sherri, it didn't stop there.

She also developed sepsis, which is a condition in which the body reacts abnormally to an infection, and septic shock, which is the most deadly stage of sepsis and occurs when blood pressure falls dangerously low.

Husband David Moody stated in an interview with TODAY: “I had to Google what sepsis was. I had no idea. We’re pretty healthy people."

“I recognized real quick that we were in a severe situation. I was scared to pieces.”

The high school teacher contracted sepsis and septic shock. GoFundMe

Sherri was provided medication to address her chronic arthritis, which she was taking prior to the incident, thus things only grew worse.

It indicated that her immune system had been suppressed, or as David, 53, put it: "She had nothing to fight with. It’s like she went to war with no soldiers.”

Her legs and arms had almost no blood circulation as a result of the medications used to force blood to her important organs while she was in a medically induced coma.

David started to notice color changes after a few days.

He said: “I literally watched my wife’s feet and hands die. They were black and they were mummified.”

Sherri 'chooses happiness' and is grateful to be alive. Facebook/Sherri Moody

Sherri's spouse informed her of the news when she eventually woke up.

She described how it took a catastrophe for her to realize that "I'm a lot stronger than what I ever even thought I was," despite the fact that she is now without arms or legs from the joints down. 

She leads an optimistic life.

She added: “I’m very mentally strong. I just choose to be happy. … It’s not to say that I don’t have a breakdown every now and then and just cry a little bit."

"I don’t let it last long."