East Shelby firefighter remains in recovery from bacteria infection

By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 2 August 2022 at 9:05 am

Benefit planned at fire hall on Aug. 13 for Joe Newton

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Ayriel George has issued an update on the condition of her father, Joe Newton of Medina, who remains in a rehab facility in Ohio. She holds a flyer promoting a benefit in his honor Aug. 13 at East Shelby Fire Hall.

EAST SHELBY – An East Shelby firefighter remains in rehab at a facility in Ohio, while support continues to grow for a fundraiser for the family, according to his daughter Ayriel George.

Joe Newton was hospitalized in March with necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh eating bacteria, which caused damage to all his organs. He underwent several surgical procedures and ended up on a ventilator. He was eventually transferred to a facility in Erie, Pa., the only one available which took patients on a ventilator, then was transferred to Andover, Ohio for further rehab, where he remains today.

He was close to being removed from the ventilator two weeks ago, until he had to be hospitalized for little more than a week when his wound became infected again. George said they have figured out the right antibiotic for him and are now working with him again to regain the momentum he lost while in the hospital. In an effort to get him off the ventilator.

George said she, her mother and her two boys visited him a few weeks ago.

“It was the first time my boys had seen their grandpa in more than four months, and I think they were a good dose of medicine for him,” George said.

George also shared an update on the benefit planned for him from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 13 at the East Shelby Fire Hall. Support for the event has been incredible, according to George.

Several large items have been donated for the raffle, including a patio set with a fire pit, a cooler filled with liquor, a griddle grill with accessories, a lottery tree and a television.

Anyone wishing to donate a basket can drop them off at the fire hall the day before the event between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Coffee and donuts will be served in the morning of the fundraiser and hot dogs and chips will be available during the afternoon.