On a hot August day last summer, Shawn Mifsud felt like he was coming down with something while enjoying the feast of St Helen with his family.

Little did he know that the fever would lead to him losing both his hands and legs a little over three weeks later. 

Rushed to hospital by ambulance, Shawn was told by doctors that he was in critical condition and was put into an induced coma as the intensive care team fought to save his life from the viral infection that was ravaging his body. 

When he woke up two weeks later, he knew instantly that the prognosis on his limbs was not good. 

“When I looked at my limbs, they didn’t even look like hands and legs anymore, they looked monstrous, I was genuinely shocked,” Shawn told Times of Malta in an interview on Wednesday. 

“When the doctor told me they would have to be amputated, I knew in that moment that there was nothing to be done about it. If I had said no the infection could have continued to spread and I would have died.” 

Shawn's main focus is to complete rehabilitation and be able to return home to his family. Photo courtesy of Graziana Mifsud

A 37-year-old husband and father, Shawn is a soldier in the Armed Forces of Malta and was turning his passion for videography into a burgeoning side business, working to give his young family the best life he could.

Four months after Shawn’s ordeal, the family is still adjusting as the young father learns to adapt to life without his limbs and is in rehabilitation to eventually be fitted with prosthetics. 

“From what I understand this is something that can just happen to you out of the blue,” Shawn says. 

“I do believe in destiny and I don’t want to scare people but anyone could contract a disease like this out of thin air. I don’t like to dwell too long on it though, life has to go on and I have a wife and two children to focus on. I want to take care of them. For the time being, I'm still a soldier and I'm looking into how I can continue doing my job in the future.”

Shawn said there are moments when he feels down but the support of his friends and family is keeping him focused on recovery. Photo courtesy of Graziana Mifsud

The Mifsuds are currently fundraising to purchase two bionic hands for Shawn which would allow him a wider range of movement than the simpler prosthetics provided by the government and allow him to lead a more independent life post-recovery. 

But this won’t come cheap and the cost of a pair of new hands for Shawn is expected to be in the region of €200,000. 

“Honestly, I have already received so much public support and I appreciate every cent anyone can spare to send my way,” Shawn said. 

“I’m asking for help so I can help myself. These prosthetics will allow me to be independent and not have to rely on others for the basics like feeding or washing myself. They’ll also allow to do some work and pick up my cameras again. I won’t be as mobile as I once was but they will allow me to regain my old life.” 

Shawn and Graziana Mifsud. Photo courtesy of Graziana Mifsud

As he undergoes rehabilitation at Karin Grech Hospital, Shawn says that his top goal and the end of his recovery journey is to be able to open his own front door and live as a family with his wife Graziana and their two daughters, aged 4 and 1, once again. 

“I’ve really missed my time with my family. My youngest daughter just turned one and in the blink of an eye I missed four months of her life,” he said. 

“I missed her first steps and her first words. It hit the most hard when I realised couldn’t pick her up or caress her face. There are moments where it hits me that I'm not raising my daughters and that I'm missing out on my role in the family,” he continued. 

“My wife is my angel, she is doing everything to hold our family together but I feel sorry that the burden has fallen entirely on her and right now I am limited in what I can do.” 

But despite his low moments, Shawn said that he found his village in relatives and friends who stepped up for his family while they were going through the wringer. 

The reality of his situation hit Shawn hard when he realised he could not longer lift his one-year-old daughter. Photo courtesy of Graziana Mifsud

“There are moments when I feel down about what has happened, I’ve cried about it and asked why it had to happen to me. But there isn’t always a reason for things. Maybe God wants something from me? Maybe he wants people to pray?” Shawn said.

“But I have found a lot of courage from people’s support, my wife, my mother and my siblings. My wife’s family as well, her mother is practically raising our children at the moment, with the help of my mother. My friends also bring me hope. And I think I am working for these people. When I have my low moments, I think of them and they give me hope to keep going on.”

The Mifsuds are accepting donations on IBAN no: MT13 VALL 2201 3000 0000 5001 1233 201 or through BOV Mobile on 79327955