- A 17-year-old Florida teenager, Joziah Thompson, is hospitalized and facing potential amputation after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria.
- Thompson was exposed to Vibrio vulnificus, a naturally occurring bacterium found in warm, mildly salty coastal waters, while swimming at a park in Niceville, Florida.
- Initially believing it was just a scratch, his leg became inflamed and painful two days later, leading to his diagnosis and ongoing treatment at Studer Family Children's Hospital.
- His mother, Tirzah Thompson, launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover household, travel, and medical expenses after pausing her spa business to care for her son.
- Tirzah Thompson is advocating for a system that provides public information on bacterial levels in local waters to prevent similar incidents.
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