During that time, Muñoz suffered a heart attack, internal bleeding, and developed necrotizing fasciitis — the flesh-eating bacteria — which forced doctors to amputate both legs below the knee, her right arm, and part of her left hand to stop the infection from spreading.
“When I woke up, I looked down and saw nothing. Just darkness,” she told ABC News 10. “I thought I was in a bad dream.”
After months in the hospital, Muñoz was finally discharged in April. But the road ahead is steep. With two sons — Matthew and Enrique — who are both autistic and require constant support, Muñoz says her biggest fear isn’t her own pain, but the possibility of no longer being able to care for them.
“My children need me. I need to be at their therapy sessions, their evaluations, their doctor’s appointments. They rely on me every day,” she shared. “Now, I just want to be there for them — fully.”
Despite the unimaginable trauma, Muñoz is finding strength in small victories. She’s able to feed herself and brush her teeth again. She can move herself in bed. But she needs prosthetics to reclaim any sense of independence and continue being the mother her children need.
“It’s hard,” she said. “But I’m grateful I’m alive. I’m still here for my kids — and I’ll fight to stay here as long as I can.”
You can support Arisbeth Muñoz’s recovery and help her walk again by donating to her GoFundMe campaign.