My name is Candice Sanders. I am a 36 years old single mother to my 3-year-old daughter. During my C-section with my daughter, I contracted MRSA (Narcotizing Fascitiis), Cellulitis, and my blood was gram-negative. I had to undergo 7 surgeries and 9 blood transfusions and I was separated from my newborn for a month; while in a California hospital. I had 2 surgeries in Las Vegas and because the infection was spreading so fast, I was air lifted to another hospital, where the team of surgeons saved my life.

Although I survived the horrific experience, I am left with what looks like a botched tummy tuck but what is actually a huge scar going across my stomach that pains me every day. I sought legal counsel only to be told that I could’ve caught MRSA anywhere and there is nothing that I can do about it. At that time, I was on a walker with an healing wound and I did not push for further legal assistance. Everyone told me that it isn’t worth fight the hospital who did this to be because it will be too costly; so I gave up. I just focused on healing and making sure that I was in good condition to care for my newborn. But here I am, 4 years later and it still bothers me that I was not able to share my story or received any type of justice for what had happened to me during my C-section. I am blessed to have survived, but I have to look at myself in the mirror every day and stay reminded that I almost died giving birth to my daughter which was no fault of my own. Going to several Plastic Surgery consultation just to be told that it will cost over $20,000 for me to have my stomach reconstructed.