Sam O’Sullivan had to end his career due to flesh-eating bacteria.
Sam O`Sullivan has come a long way. Illustration image. PDO
Former Australian rules football star Sam O’Sullivan opened up about his wild story on the news.com.au podcast.
He was hospitalized at the age of 24 due to antibiotic-resistant flesh-eating bacteria in 2015.
A rare bacteria was in his leg, which caused the muscles of the leg to rot. O’Sullivan fell into a coma for two weeks.
O`Sullivan said that during the coma, the doctors already had time to tell his family that it was time to say goodbye.
However, after two weeks, O`Sullivan woke up from the coma.
O`Sullivan was told he would never walk again and could not continue his career.
– I was very, very shocked. I didn’t know what was happening. I actually didn’t believe the people who told me this.
– Football was my whole life, so it was quite a big deal to hear about it when I woke up.
O`Sullivan learned to walk again and learned it after a year of training.
He still has scars on his legs and left hand. The disease also caused him post-traumatic stress disorder. As a result, he started using alcohol.
– I ended up drinking a lot of alcohol because I wasn’t playing anymore. I lost my most important thing, so I felt a little helpless.
– I no longer had much of a purpose.
Today, O`Sullivan lives in London with his girlfriend. He said that the illness also brought something good to life and he tries to have a positive attitude towards living.
He is believed to be one of seven people who have survived the flesh-eating bacteria.
– If these things hadn’t happened to me, I wouldn’t have my current partner.
During his playing career, O`Sullivan represented, among other things, Post Melbourne, which plays in the Australian Football League VFL, which is the most successful club in the history of the series.