SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Nearly a year after her harrowing medical journey began, Arisbeth Munoz couldn't stop smiling as she was fitted with her first prosthetic arm at a San Diego clinic.
The 40-year-old Logan Heights mother, who survived a life-threatening battle with flesh-eating disease, reached a major milestone in her recovery when she was able to transfer herself from a bed to her wheelchair using her new prosthetic right arm.
"Very happy, very happy," Munoz said as she used her wheelchair independently for the first time in months.
Last December, severe pain in her side and vomiting sent Munoz to the emergency room, where she tested positive for the flu and Group A strep bacteria. The common bacteria, in rare cases, can trigger sepsis and flesh-eating necrotizing fasciitis. Munoz developed both conditions.
She remarkably survived the ordeal but faced amputations in her arms and legs. The mother of two autistic sons spent months in a coma before waking to discover the extent of her injuries.
"I woke up and saw my arms and legs dark," Munoz recalled through tears during an interview in June.
After the initial story aired, donations poured into a GoFundMe campaign, climbing from $500 to more than $57,000. The funds have helped cover the mountain of medical costs not covered by insurance.
"I was crying. I can't believe it," Munoz said about the community support.
The past months brought several setbacks, including additional infections, but the prosthetic arm represents a significant step forward in her recovery.
"This gives me independence," Munoz said.
She says she's most looking forward to chasing after her children at the playground and being able to hug them again.
"Like a great victory," she said when asked how hugging her sons will feel.
Munoz will be fitted for leg prosthetics in a few weeks and hopes her healing will eventually allow for a bionic arm with a hand. For now, she's focused on what she can already accomplish.
"I feel like this is my new beginning," Munoz said.
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