A Positive Amid a Sea of Negative
Residual Effects of Meningococcal Outbreak Persist for Some
Aaron Loy, an 18-year-old UCSB student and lacrosse player, was one of the people who contracted meningitis during the November outbreak at UCSB, and he has had to have both of his lower legs amputated. UCSB officials said that the students who contracted the disease did not live together, or even in the same building, but picked it up through social contact. The CDC and public health officials are still trying to identify the exact mode of transmission. For Loy, however, the focus is on overcoming the effects this disease has had on his life.
The Loy family has set up a website on HelpHopeLive to give people a chance to support Aaron’s recovery through donations, and share their experiences. Reading the entries detailing Aaron’s transport from Santa Barbara to a hospital in San Diego, his surgeries, and his first attempt to eat on his own are heartbreaking, yet uplifting at the same time. Through seeing how his family is approaching his recovery, you realize what true strength and love looks like. Take this entry for example:
November 30, 2013
