NY Airport Firefighter Rebounding from Deadly Infection

Albany, N.Y. — An infection that could have started with a small cut left an Albany firefighter near death.

Josh Woodward, 33, began to recover Saturday after several days when it appeared he might die. He still faces a long road to full recovery, but his family is now hopeful, according to the Times Union in Albany.

Doctors believe a small injury on his arm, a cut or ingrown hair, sparked an infection that spread to his heart, lungs, liver and kidneys, according to News 10 in Albany.

The problems began a week ago when Woodward, a firefighter at Albany International Airport, came down with a fever and noticed pain in his arm, the Times Union said. The fever did improve in the next few days and the pain grew much worse.

Woodward's wife, Chelsea, took him to St. Peter's Hospital in Albany on Thursday, thinking he'd get some pain medicine and a sling for his arm, the paper said.

Instead, doctors discovered Woodward was septic and rushed him into emergency surgery. He has been in critical condition since then.

He suffered a heart attack and kidney failure while hospitalized, according to the Times Union. On Friday, doctors told the family they didn't expect Woodward to make it through the night.

As Woodward slowly began to recover, the Woodwards' pastor, David Mazzella, described his improvement to the congregation at the Capital Church, according to the Times Union.

"We're literally watching a miracle unfold," he said, according to the paper. "Your prayers, they matter. The support of the community, it matters."

Chelsea has been providing updates on her husband’s progress on social media. She said she’d be a “puddle on the floor” without the support she has received.

Her updates have attracted hundreds of comments and shares on Facebook.

"So many people are loving on him," Chelsea wrote, according to the Times Union. "I can't wait for you to get to know him better when he's awake and thanking you for the love."

Josh was undergoing another surgery Monday afternoon, but Chelsea wrote on Facebook that he squeezed her hand “a whole bunch before he went in.”

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