7-year-old Phoenix girl had 4 amputations due to complications from strep infection

By Sarah Robinson

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    PHOENIX (KPHO, KTVK ) — A Phoenix girl is having to adapt to her new life while still in the hospital after contracting a serious case of group A Streptococcus, or group A strep.

Victoria Pasten-Morales is finally in stable condition after nine total surgeries, including four amputations.

Group A strep is typically known to cause strep throat.

But in rare cases, it can cause sepsis, a life-threatening complication.

The road to recovery will be daunting. Victoria will have to adjust to a new life without her hands and feet.

Her family said on Monday they are just thankful she is alive.

“We’re very sad. This has changed her life because my daughter was a happy girl who played. She loved to paint,” said her father, Victor Morales.

For the past month, Victor Pasten and his wife, Obdulia Morales, have been staying at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, praying for their 7-year-old daughter, Victoria.

“She’s currently in ICU. She’s on medication that keeps her relaxed because they amputated her both feet, both hands,” Victor said.

It all started on Feb. 28. Victoria woke up around midnight, saying she didn’t feel well.

In the morning, things quickly got much worse.

“We would have never imagined that that would have worsened to what it did. It was very bad. Her entire body started turning purple. She started swelling up,” Victor said.

Dr. Sean Elliott is a pediatric infectious disease specialist in Tucson.

Elliott, who has not treated Victoria, says that when strep gets severe, it can cause sepsis, an infection of the blood.

“If a patient has sepsis and has low blood pressure, they’re not going to get blood to the ends of the pipeline. Those tissues are deprived of oxygen and just like frostbite, they develop gangrene,” Elliott said.

It is what doctors say caused Victoria’s severe illness and four amputations.

Elliott says sepsis can happen quickly, often overnight.

“It happens in otherwise healthy individuals. Anybody and everybody could get invasive group a strep,” Elliott said.

Victoria is now off a ventilator and recovering. But her dad says physical therapy will be extensive.

“This is going to be difficult for her because she’s going to see herself very differently.”

Though her parents are happy Victoria is alive, their journey ahead will be difficult.

Right now, they’re left with more questions than answers.

“We don’t know where that bacteria came from. Also, doctors can’t figure out how it got into her blood. It’s very difficult, very difficult not knowing where it came from,” Victor said.

Dr. Elliott said that for the past couple of months, there has been a more invasive strain of group A strep in the country.

Elliott says the CDC recently put out an advisory and doctors are urged to be on the lookout for signs of the disease.

Elliott says the best prevention for serious illness is adequate hand washing.

Her family has a GoFundMe to help with recovery.

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