Joshua's Story

Joshua
Age 8
MRSA-Staph Infection

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center

Joshua’s most prized possession is a bag of dirt. It isn’t just any dirt, but dirt from Fenway Park sent to him by the Boston Red Sox. The gift arrived while Joshua was in the hospital, helping to lift his spirits as he battled a life-threatening infection.

In September 2009, Joshua was admitted to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center for an extremely rare form of staph infection, commonly referred to as flesh-eating bacteria. The next six weeks were a series of surgeries, transfusions, tests and rehab. Doctors were unsure how he would respond to treatment because of the rarity of his infection. In order to help others like Joshua, his family has given permission to infectious disease researchers to study his case.

Joshua, 8, is out of the hospital, receives blood-thinning injections daily, and is working hard with physical therapists to get back to where he can play baseball, so he can perhaps someday hit a homerun at Fenway Park.