An Orange Park man was given a 50-50 chance to live after doctors discovered he had a flesh-eating bacteria.
Robert Morgan says it took seven surgeries but he is finally healing.
Morgan says in December, he thought he had a pulled muscle and then got flu-like symptoms.
He went to one hospital that took an X-ray and sent him home.
Then he came to Orange Park Medical Center for a second opinion.
"The pain was so far beyond anything I’ve ever felt,” Morgan said.
Morgan says when he walked through the doors at the ER, a doctor saw him and ran over to help.
“He happened to be passing by in a hallway and looked out and noticed I had been sweating profusely,” Morgan said.
“I said, 'Mr. Morgan when did you notice that bruise?' And he said, ‘I didn’t even know it was there till you pointed it out’, and right away I knew what we were dealing with,” said emergency room doctor Justin Deaton.
Morgan says the doctors drew a circle around the bruises he had, and about a half hour later the flesh-eating bacteria spread.
He was immediately prepped and taken into surgery.
Deaton says the type of bacteria that caused this infection is not rare.
“It’s actually a very common bacteria, streptococcus, the same bacteria that causes throat infection,” Deaton said.
He says when it gets below the fat layer, the body can’t fight it.
Morgan says he is grateful for the team of doctors who helped keep him alive.