Hispanic dancer loses both legs after contracting meningitis

• Rafael Castellanos faces the toughest battle of his life.
• He contracted meningitis and lost both of his legs.
• Despite everything, the Hispanic ballroom dancer is happy to be alive.

Hispanic dancer loses both legs. There is no doubt that sometimes life puts us through difficult tests and this is the case for Rafael Castello, a dedicated ballroom dancer, whose art form wasn’t just a hobby, it was a lifestyle. However, the life of the 32-year-old Hispanic man has just changed completely after being on the verge of death.

The New York Post revealed the story of this man who lives in Florida. After contracting meningitis, he spent months in the hospital fighting the disease and the doctors eventually gave him terrible news.

He couldn’t remember anything after waking up from a coma

After waking up from a coma, Rafael Castellano found himself facing a cruel reality because, despite having survived the terrible disease, he was about to get terrible news. The New York Post revealed how the young dancer reacted, since he didn’t remember anything.

“Every three days, I’d ask the same question, the same thing, asking what happened, and it took time to understand what was going on,” Castellano told News 6 after he was released. This nightmare began for Rafael on June 1 and it continues to haunt him. Filed Under: Hispanic Dancer Loses Both Legs

Rafael Castellano contracted meningitis

On June 1, the nightmare began, because after feeling strange for days, the 32-year-old dancer was taken to AdventHealth Hospital in Orlando. There, he was diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis, a disease he said he knew little about before contracting it, WESH2 reported.

According to The New York Post, meningococcal meningitis is a rare bacterial infection. It is quite serious, as it is transmitted by close contact with the saliva of an infected person, which causes the lining of the brain and the spinal cord to swell, often leading to death. Filed Under: Hispanic Dancer Loses Both Legs

He gets terrible news

While Rafael Castellanos was on the verge of death, his family received horrible news from the doctors, who warned them that the worst was yet to come. “This bacteria that’s in your body (is) to the point where your body becomes like a poison to itself,” Rafael said.

Rafael underwent a total of eight major surgeries throughout the summer. These interventions ended when both of his legs were amputated. Filed Under: Hispanic Dancer Loses Both Legs

Grateful to be alive

Despite the harsh circumstances, the young man revealed that despite how difficult things have been, he is grateful to be alive. “I feel like this is a miracle, that’s the only way to explain it,” he said. «And now I have the drive to keep fighting and show everyone what I’m capable of,» he told the New York Post.

Rafael has been active on social media keeping people informed about how he’s been doing. On the other hand, the outlet announced that his medical treatment has been quite expensive. He started a GoFoundMe campaign with the aim of helping to cover these expenses and so far it has raised more than $56,000. Filed Under: Hispanic Dancer Loses Both Legs