Valley Fever infection leads to man's arm amputation

Valley Fever case forces Phoenix man's arm amputation

A Phoenix man is adjusting to life without his right arm after a case of Valley Fever he never knew he had led to the need for amputation. FOX 10's Taylor Wirtz reports.

PHOENIX - A Phoenix man is adjusting to life without his right arm after a case of Valley Fever he never knew he had led to the need for amputation.

What we know:

In 2022, when Sergio Moreno Moran popped his wrist at his demolition job, he and his wife, Jennifer Pena Moreno, thought the resulting surgery and recovery would be straightforward.

"We didn't think it was anything major," Jennifer said.

But his wrist did not heal.

"Five months after that. A lot of swelling, redness, pain," Jennifer said.

That's when Sergio found out he had Valley Fever, which had infected his wrist. His wife explained that the fever was dormant in his body at the time of the accident.

"So when the first surgery happened, it caused the Valley fever to wake up in his bloodstream. And the first place it went was to his wrist," Jennifer said.

Sergio Moreno Moran

Dig deeper:

Dr. Frank LoVecchio with Arizona State University and Valleywise Health noted that normal cases of Valley Fever are often uncomplicated. "Most of the times when you get Valley Fever, it's like nothing," LoVecchio said.

However, in some rare cases — less than 1% — the infection can spread throughout the body.

Despite countless surgeries to get rid of the infection, nothing worked. Last week, doctors had to amputate Sergio's arm from the elbow down.

"We still don't even know if the infection is out of his arm," Jennifer said.

The couple said the amputation is a big change.

"It's been emotional because he's had to figure out, obviously, how to work with one arm. And he was always used to doing everything," Jennifer said.

After years of living with the unknown, the amputation has brought a sense of relief and hope.

"It's been very difficult. It feels like our life stopped," Jennifer said. "Now that old chapter is closed. We're starting a new chapter where the storm has passed, and we can start to see the colors of the rainbow".

Sergio relies on his wife for support: "She's my everything," he said.

What's next:

He will learn in a few weeks whether the infection is gone or if doctors will need to amputate the arm higher up. He will also have to take medication for the rest of his life.

After years of pain and searching for answers, however, he is just happy to finally be one step closer to being infection-free.