After getting bitten by a mosquito and contracting West Nile Virus, a former pro wrestling champion is battling a host of nasty symptoms. It turns out the insects, thanks to disease, can pack a mighty punch for their size.
That's what wrestling champion Fabio Caruso, named as The Sicilian Slammer, found out. The 40-year-old was working in his yard in New York when a mosquito bit him last year. The wrestling champ was already recovering from a kidney transplant at the time. So, he wasn't in the best of health. West Nile quickly ravaged his body and turned into a severe infection.
Caruso ended up in the ICU at NYU Langone. The wrestling champion had both respiratory failure as well as lower-body paralysis. Doctors had to put him on a ventilator to save his life since he couldn't breathe on his own. Even after things became less touch and go, Caruso experienced memory loss and a recurring fever for months.
Former Pro Wrestling Champion Paralyzed
In total, he spent more than 10 months in the hospital and needed six months of intense rehab to recover. Caruso was shocked by how a mosquito bite completely transformed his life and almost killed him. It's something that he's still recovering from with progress slow and difficult. He said, "When I arrived at Gouverneur, I was still in a lot of pain and questioning why this was happening to me. I was discouraged and didn't care about getting better."
Throughout his stay at the hospital, he needed a motorized lift for bed transfers, but over time, he started to gain mobility and his balance back.
Despite being hesitant at first, Mr. Caruso quickly realized the benefits of rehab and getting his health back on track. His wife also commented on his recovery, saying, "Fabio was always someone that took physical training very seriously, so he tapped into his experiences with weight lifting and wrestling to bring the same motivation to rehabilitation."
The wrestling champion said he turned to faith. "Aside from my faith, it was my wife and seven-year-old daughter who encouraged me to get where I am today. Things [also] took a turn for the better once I began working with my occupational therapist, Lina. Within a month, there was drastic improvement. Her level of work ethic doesn't exist anymore, and she should be acknowledged."
