Mission: To save lives and reduce hospitalizations by protecting children, families, and communities against influenza.
Family Stories

The Vlasman Story

FFF Advocate:
Marty Vlasman
Place of Residence:
Mitchell, South Dakota
Survivor:
46 years old, 2014
Share this Story:
<< Back to Family Stories

Marty Vlasman 

Marty went out with friends to celebrate New Year’s Eve. When he woke up, it was February.

Marty’s Flu Illness
In December 2013, Marty started feeling ill with a stuffy nose, cough, and fever. By New Year’s, his niece brought him to Urgent Care where they suspected he had bronchitis. When he still wasn’t feeling better on January 5, 2014, his niece took him to the ER. The last thing Marty remembers from that day is feeling delirious and having difficulty breathing. He didn’t regain consciousness again until February 14th.

Flu Hospitalization
Shortly after arriving at the first hospital in Mitchell, SD, Marty was flown to another hospital in Sioux Falls where he tested positive for influenza. Since Marty had fluid filling his lungs, he couldn’t get enough oxygen and went into congestive heart failure. Shortly after, he was put into a medically-induced coma and flown to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester to be cared for in the cardiac intensive care unit.

During those first few days, doctors drained gallons of fluid from his lungs. Since his heart and lungs were not strong enough to work on their own, Marty was put on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine. The doctors first tried connecting the ECMO through his neck, but when that didn’t work well enough, they had to open up Marty’s chest and connect the ECMO directly to his heart.

Each day doctors had to clean out Marty’s chest wounds to fight off infection. Over the six weeks Marty spent in coma, his heart stopped three times, his kidneys failed, and he lost over 100 pounds. He was finally taken off the ECMO machine on February 14th, but he was so weak that he couldn’t move his hands or legs, and he did not know where he was or what had happened since he lost consciousness on January 5th.

Flu Recovery
Five days later, on Marty’s 47th birthday, he was finally released from the hospital. His voice was hoarse and raspy from being on a breathing tube for so long, and he had scars where they had to open his stomach and chest to drain out fluid. He was too weak to go home, so he spent weeks in a rehab hospital, building up his strength, re-learning how to walk, and continuing to heal the open wounds in his chest. While he was recovering he got an infection in one of his chest incisions and had to return to the Mayo Clinic for more surgery. He then returned to another rehab hospital and was on IV antibiotics for months to ensure the infection wouldn’t come back.

Marty’s recovery has continued, but he has never returned to complete health. He still suffers from various health restrictions, half of his chest is numb and he will never be able to return to his job as a satellite communications equipment installer due to the fact that he can no longer climb and lift.  

It’s A Mistake Not To Get Vaccinated
Prior to this experience, Marty had never been vaccinated against the flu. Now, he realizes what a mistake that was and never misses getting an annual flu vaccine now.  He still gets upset thinking about all that he put his family through as they stood by his side. 

Marty shares his story in hopes that other people will take the proper precautions by getting their annual flu vaccine. Through a nonprofit called Cruisin’ For A Cause, Marty raises money to assist people in his local community with medical expenses that were incurred due to illness or death.

Share this Story:
<< Back to Family Stories
Stay Informed
Sign up for our Weekly Flu News and quarterly newsletter, Fighting Influenza, to stay up-to-date on the latest flu news.
Newsletter

LOGO LICENSE AGREEMENT

You are required to accept all of the terms and conditions in this License Agreement in order to receive a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-assignable, royalty-free license to use the FAMILIES FIGHTING FLU, INC. logo, displayed below (the “FFF Logo”), from Families Fighting Flu, Inc. (“FFF”). In order to accept these terms and conditions, you must click the “I Accept” button below.

  1. FFF hereby grants to you, and you accept, a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-assignable, royalty-free license to use the FFF Logo, which you may download and use solely in online and print earned media publications for a period of no more than six (6) months in the United States.
  2. You acknowledge that the FFF Logo is a valid trademark; that FFF is the sole owner of the FFF Logo; and that FFF retains all right, title, and interest in and to the FFF Logo. You agree that any and all use that you make of the FFF Logo, and any and all goodwill arising from your use of the FFF Logo, shall inure exclusively to the benefit of FFF.  You also agree that you shall not challenge the validity of the FFF Logo or FFF’s ownership or title thereto during the term of the License Agreement or thereafter.
  3. You agree that you shall use the FFF Logo only in the form shown above, and that you shall not alter, modify, change, or edit the FFF Logo in any manner.
  4. You acknowledge the valuable goodwill and reputation in the FFF Logo, and that it is essential that the high standards and reputation associated with the FFF Logo be maintained. You therefore agree to use the FFF Logo consistent with the highest standards of quality so as to protect and maintain the FFF Logo and FFF’s rights therein.
  5. FFF shall have the right to review and inspect your use of the FFF Logo at any time. FFF, in its sole discretion, may determine that you are not using the FFF Logo in an acceptable manner and require that you discontinue your use of the FFF Logo.  To the extent that FFF requires that you discontinue your use of the FFF Logo, you agree that you shall remove the FFF Logo from all online and print earned media publications as soon as practicable under the circumstances, and that you shall not use the FFF at any time in the future.
  6. You must include the following notice in connection with any use of the FFF Logo: “The Families Fighting Flu, Inc. logo is the registered trademark of Families Fighting Flu, Inc.”
I Accept