If it hadn’t been for the cops, Alan Avery’s doctors told him he would’ve been dead in an hour.
He called 911 repeatedly one day a year ago, complaining of a non-existent robber at his DeKalb County home. Police responded and figured out that he was hallucinating, and it turned out he was in the throes of flesh-eating bacteria, picked up on a beach trip, according to Channel 2 Action News.
“He really believes people are breaking in,” said officer T.P. Dunn.
Dunn, along with officer J.Q. Kelley and officer M. Poon, tried to convince the man otherwise.
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Avery refused medical treatment, so Poon called Avery’s husband, Michael Newton. Avery made it to the hospital, where it turned out he was in septic shock from flesh-eating bacteria.
He spent weeks in a coma, had eight surgeries and months of rehab. After it was behind him, he wanted to thank the police who saved him.
They met at DeKalb police headquarters Wednesday.
“Without you, I would not be here today,” Avery said, Channel 2 reported. “I would be dead. Thank you, thank all of you.”
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