Texas teacherโ€™s limbs became โ€˜๐š–๐šž๐š–๐š–๐š’๐š๐š’๐šŽ๐šโ€™ after infection she thought was just a cold

A Texas high school teacher who had all four of her limbs amputated after they turned black and became โ€œmummifiedโ€ following a seemingly routine infection says sheโ€™s choosing to be happy, despite the horrifying ordeal.

Sherri Moody, 51, who taught students in Deer Park outside Houston, started feeling what she thought was a cold coming on during a class trip in April 2023, and paid it little mind.

But within days, she found herself running a high fever. After waking up one night with trouble breathing, she went to the hospital.

โ€œIโ€™ve never gone to the ER before in my life,โ€ Sherri told. โ€œI was very healthy, very in shape. I ate right, exercised.โ€

Doctors determined she was suffering from double pneumonia, which they said had been brought on by streptococcus, the bacteria that causes strep throat.

Her body had gone into septic shock, a life-threatening response to infection which severely drops the bodyโ€™s blood pressure.

โ€œI had to Google what sepsis was. I had no idea. Weโ€™re pretty healthy people,โ€ her husband, David.

โ€œI recognized real quick that we were in a severe situation. I was scared to pieces.โ€

Complicating the matter was an arthritis medication Sherri had been taking, which weakened her bodyโ€™s ability to fight infection.

David described Sherriโ€™s ordeal as โ€œlike a category 5 hurricane coming in.โ€

โ€œShe had nothing to fight with. Itโ€™s like she went to war with no soldiers.โ€

Sherri, the mother of a grown son, was put into a coma by doctors, who treated her with drugs that fought to return blood flow to her vital organs โ€” at the expense of circulation in her arms and legs.

โ€œI literally watched my wifeโ€™s feet and hands die,โ€ David said.

Horrifying photos show just that โ€” Sherri sitting on the edge of a hospital bed with tubes running from her body and her hands and legs hanging black and limp.

โ€œThey were black and they were mummified,โ€ he added.

After saving her life, doctors determined Sherriโ€™s arms and legs needed to be amputated below the elbows and knees. She told Today that she cried at first, but felt calm despite the life-changing news.

The amputations were performed in June 2023, and by August, she was back home.

David and Sherri โ€” high school sweethearts who graduated from the same high school where Sherri taught โ€” are adjusting to the new realities of their life together.

He left his job to care for his wife full-time.

But both have tried to choose happiness and not let the hardships define them.

โ€œI just choose to be happy,โ€ Sherri said. โ€œItโ€™s not to say that I donโ€™t have a breakdown every now and then and just cry a little bit. I donโ€™t let it last long.โ€

David remains in awe of his wifeโ€™s strength โ€” saying he feels like heโ€™s had a harder time coping while she remains undeterred.

โ€œShe is just amazing. Iโ€™ve had more struggles,โ€ he told.

โ€œBoth of us together talk about our blessings. We talk about the things that are going right in our day, in our lives,โ€ David added.

Friends have set up a GoFundMe campaign that has raised more than $88,000 for the couple.

Septic shock affects about 750,000 Americans every year, according to the American Thoracic Society.

Roughly 30% of patients who undergo septic shock or severe sepsis die from the condition, which can be sparked by common infections.