GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) -- It's the kind of news you never want to hear but has become a grim reality.
Parker Byrd, the East Carolina University incoming freshman baseball player who was badly injured in a boating accident back in July is facing amputation of part of his right leg. In a Facebook post on Thursday, Parker's mother, Mitzi Byrd, said the doctors are worried because it appears his calf muscle is dying. Doctors said it is not getting the necessary blood flow needed and despite their efforts, amputation appears to be the only way to solve the problem and protect Byrd's health as he tries to recover from his injuries and the multiple surgeries.
"We had hoped last night that things may be improving because his foot was starting to warm up and Dr Zeri was pleased with the color change that was happening. But scared to get too excited because this has been the biggest roller coaster of our life…one minute things are improving and the next minute we are hit in the face with bad news.
"He had unmanageable pain in his calf last night. Jeff stayed with him and he said it was awful. Dr Yamaguchi saw him this morning and said his calf muscle is dying. It’s not getting the blood flow it needs, despite all their efforts. He told Parker that at this point, they really need to do an amputation, hopefully below the knee. He said if we keep playing the wait-and-see game, he is risking getting very sick. Dr Zeri just came in and agreed. His plan is to do a mid-calf amputation but can’t guarantee exactly because he needs to see what muscles are salvageable."
Mitzi Byrd asked for continued prayers as Parker prepares for surgery and for the recovery process that will follow.
"This is hard. I’m not going to lie, this is REALLY hard. Parker is trying to process it and we are trying to process it. I begged God to provide a miracle but we have to trust his plan. God knew what his story would be before P took his first breath. He gave us a miracle on July 23 by saving P’s life and for that alone, I am forever grateful and praising him.
"We need prayers. We need so many prayers, now and in the days to come. We pray that he has a safe surgery. We pray that there is enough tissue to keep it mid-calf. We pray that the infection stays away. We pray for the next days ahead. He will need more surgeries in the upcoming days because they are leaving the stump open to watch the tissue. We pray for pain control. We pray for P’s heartbreak and his state of mind. This is just incredibly hard."
Before this news, Byrd had his seventh surgery on Wednesday to address concerns about blood flow to his right foot.
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