Cyclist Fighting for His Life after Contracting Flesh-Eating Disease from Saddle Sore

A cyclist from British Columbia, Canada, is in critical condition and fighting for his life after a severe saddle sore sustained during a training camp in San Diego, California, developed a life-threatening infection.

Ryan Busto is a 41-year-old helicopter maintenance engineer and father of two who had aspirations to race this year. Now, he is in the ICU at La Jolla San Diego hospital.The rare bacterial disease that Busto contracted is called necrotizing fasciitis, commonly referred to as flesh-eating disease. HealthLinkBC says that it usually starts from an infection in a minor cut or bruise, although sometimes there is no obvious skin wound or injury. While rare, the disease kills about one in four people infected with it.

Joanie Caron, a friend who was on the trip, told Canadian Cycling Magazine that “The day after the camp, I visited Ryan just before heading to the airport. He was feeling unwell, experiencing flu-like symptoms, and mentioned a wound. I took him to the clinic before departing for the airport, believing he had a minor infection.”

Another friend, Tara Rosenberg, said on Facebook that “within 36 hours, he was fighting for his life.”

Busto is making progress and has moved from a life support machine to an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. An update on the GoFundMe set up to help with medical bills and the extended leave from work said that his “heart function had improved to approximately 30 percent, a testament to his remarkable strength. While his medical team grapples with the intricacies of his case, they are amazed with his progress. In a rare moment, Ryan briefly opened his eyes, filling the room with hope and gratitude. Despite facing more surgeries, recent tests reveal his heart function has increased even further to 47 percent.”

The GoFundMe can be found here and as of Wednesday, March 20, $115,434 CDN has been raised with a target of $500,000 CDN.