A Langley man is fighting for his life in hospital after being diagnosed with a rare flesh eating bacterial infection.
Rob Erke has been in Royal Columbian Hospital since July 7, when he passed out and was rushed to the ER by ambulance.
Erke had been to the hospital or his family doctor twice since June for a persistent pain in his shoulder, said Erke’s friend David Chan.
The first doctor prescribed painkillers, but the infection turned into a large red boil. A second doctor prescribed antibiotics, but it wasn’t until he was taken to the ER that hospital officials decided it was necrotizing fasciitis.
Erke has been in the hospital ever since, having lost a considerable amount of tissue from his shoulder already.
“Even if he makes it through this, the unfortunate part is that he would not be able to continue with the business that he is in and would have to find another career,” Chan said.
Erke has a trailer repair company, and with that in jeopardy, Chan has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help the family get some financial stability.
With wife Eilish and son Bronson at the hospital most of the time, the business is being run by friends for now, Chan said.
“Rob and Eilish worship their son, Bronson, and everything they do is all about helping their son set up his future,” Chan wrote on the GoFundMe page. “The sacrifices that I have seen them make is unbelievable. Rob working long hours just so he can try and take the summer off when Bronson is out of school so that they could spend time together.”
After another round of consultations with doctors on Monday, the family was waiting to hear whether the infection has been contained, Chan said.
“Prognosis is not very good, overall,” Chan said.
