A routine heart checkup turned into a life-changing ordeal for Leslie Caoili, a 41-year-old mother from San Diego, after doctors discovered a deadly tear in her aorta.
The emergency surgery saved her life, but complications left her without the use of her hands and legs. Now, as she prepares to leave the hospital, her husband is working to make their home safe for her return.
Highlights
- Leslie Caoili underwent emergency surgery after doctors discovered a life-threatening Type A aortic dissection.
- Complications left Leslie without the use of her hands and legs.
- Her husband is now working to make their family home accessible so Leslie can return to her two daughters, dog, and family.
“Every day has been a battle for her. Every day has been a fight,” her husband, Amery Lee Caoili, said.
One commenter praised Leslie’s strength, writing, “Leslie, you're a strong woman. I know this will open new doors for you to spread your positivity.”
A strength athlete went for a routine checkup, and doctors found a life-threatening tear
Leslie had been living as a competitive strength athlete and competing around San Diego before her health suddenly took a frightening turn.
In May, she went for what was supposed to be a routine heart checkup. Instead, doctors discovered that she had a Type A aortic dissection, a serious tear in the main artery that carries blood away from the heart.
She needed emergency surgery.
Her husband said there was very little time to act.
“Most people who suffer an aortic dissection usually happens pretty quickly, and they don't survive,” Lee explained to KGTV. “So the surgery was necessary in order to save her life.”
Lee told ABC, “She probably had maybe hours left to live, and we wouldn't even, we didn't even know it.”
Leslie underwent an eight-and-a-half-hour operation involving cardiopulmonary bypass and extensive reconstruction of her aorta.
The surgery was successful in saving her life, but the family soon faced another devastating problem.
In the weeks after the operations, Leslie lost blood flow to her hands and feet
At first, her family did not know how her body would respond to the major surgery.
“We didn't really know how her body was gonna respond to the initial surgery,” Lee said.
But her condition continued to worsen.
“She ended up losing blood flow to her hands and her feet, and by the end of the first month there, her hands and her feet were blackened and shriveled,” he explained.
Doctors eventually had no choice but to remove the damaged limbs.
Leslie’s hands were amputated at the mid-forearm, and both of her legs were also amputated.
She has remained in the hospital for months and is now getting closer to returning home.
For her family, however, getting her home is only the beginning.
Leslie’s husband, Lee, has been trying to make their home accessible
Leslie and Lee have two daughters and a dog, and Lee wants his wife to return to the family home.
The problem is that the house was not designed for someone with Leslie’s new needs.
Her husband is now asking skilled volunteers to help transform the property before she is discharged.
The family needs help from electricians, HVAC technicians, roofers, flooring installers, carpenters, and painters.
For Lee, the work is not simply about renovating a house. It is about giving Leslie a place where she can start rebuilding her life.
“She just wants to come home to her family and her kids and her dog and me and wants to get back to living life as normal as we can make it for her,” he said.
Lee has stayed beside his wife throughout her long hospital stay, while their family and community have helped them through the ordeal.
Leslie’s story quickly drew emotional reactions from people who were touched by her situation
“Wishing the best for her husband and kids and great job for her husband standing by her through these difficult times. I hope she heals as best as possible to live a normal life as can be,” one person wrote.
Another commenter focused on the family’s need for an accessible home.
“This is so heartbreaking but deeply moving at the same time. Losing her arms and legs to a surgery complication is devastating, but seeing her husband stay by her side and trying to modify their home is true love. I really hope local builders step up to help them.”
Others were struck by Leslie’s ability to keep smiling despite everything she has gone through.
“And they still laugh omg,” one person wrote, while another said, “Prayers for this lady and her family.”
“So very sorry. She still has her spirit; praise the Lord. Praying for u all,” another commenter added.
Leslie’s experience was not the only story of a woman losing her limbs
Lucinda Mullins, a 43-year-old mother from Kentucky, underwent surgery to remove kidney stones in December 2023, as reported by Bored Panda.
The procedure itself went as planned. But afterward, Lucinda developed septic shock, a severe reaction to an infection that can cause the body’s organs and tissues to fail.
She spent about a week in the hospital unable to move, speak, or respond.
After she regained consciousness and was transferred to a UK hospital in Lexington, doctors explained what had happened.
They had amputated both of her legs and both of her hands and forearms to save her life.
Lucinda said her reaction surprised even those around her.
“Surprisingly, I wasn’t upset. I didn’t question it. I wasn’t angry,” she told the Daily Mail.
She asked doctors to be completely honest with her.
“I said, shoot it to me straight. I want to know it all.”
Rather than seeing her situation only as a tragedy, Lucinda said she felt grateful to be still alive.
“I was alive, and I got to see my family again and my friends,” she said. “And if that was a sacrifice that I had to make, I was fine with it.”
She also credited her faith and her family for helping her accept what had happened.
“There was just this presence of God around me that told me this is all going to be okay,” she said.
Lucinda returned to work and helped change prosthetic rules
Lucinda’s family also had to make major changes to their home. Her husband, DJ, remained by her side, while their sons, Teegan and Easton, adjusted to their mother’s new needs.
Easton became especially involved in her care.
“He helps feed her, brushes her hair, he’s got to sleep right beside her,” DJ said. “He’s keeping a close eye on her for sure.”
The family later raised enough money to build a 7,000-square-foot accessible smart home designed around Lucinda’s needs.
But she did not stop there.
Lucinda returned to work as a certified medical assistant and also pushed for changes affecting people who use prosthetics.
She later celebrated the passage of Senate Bill 97, which gives people with private insurance the right to access more than one prosthetic device.
Despite losing all four limbs, Lucinda said she did not believe her story was over.
“God chose me for this to happen and he was going to use me in a big way,” she said. “We’re not done with our story yet.”
"I wish you guys a successful life," wrote one user
