The Extraordinary Case of Alex Lewis (Miracle Documentary) | Real Stories

I am Alex on top of a ladder about ten years ago he came to do some work for me when I first saw him instantly he was so good-looking and in so nice it's the most laid-back guy you could possibly imagine very opposite to me and very kind so always have this little bit of a crush on Alex is he really vain not always spent time but the river I do my hair make sure I look good at the right shadow on thanks for my jeans and I since I need good shoes always judging my shoes we were just an ordinary family me blue seeing our son Sam then just over two years ago I caught a common cold it was to change the course of my life overnight people saw that I'd lost parts of my body so what people couldn't see was the incredible impact that it had on my family life you know Sam is scared of Alex's facing it's too hot really hard for me to see he knows that I don't look like I see his eyes his so what what's happening you know before I fell we were miles apart he has to work at how does this relationship as he did before because I am certainly not gonna feel sorry for him I remember Saturday morning both Sam and Alex were ill Alex just open up the door and his eyes were popping out with head and his hot thing he didn't have his top on and his whole top half was just purple literally it was it was happening in front of me he was going purple you know he was shivering he didn't really know if I was there or not he was like going unconscious I didn't know what this was you know as for me he had the flu ambulance emergency tell me exactly what happened my husband's body is full of life just rush just looks of fate he's worth worth headache for like two or three days like the crippling headaches yeah and he can't you know just always just blood coming out you take you need to take it okay when we are organizing helpful you stay on the line and I'll tell you exactly what to do next okay paramedics were in our kitchen and they put him in the seat and they couldn't get any blood sore anything out of him or do anything because his veins were shutting down you've never seen anything I haven't I've never seen anything like it I've never even I've never I just didn't contemplate to me that this was this was this serious when we got into the ambulance and they sort of gave him some penicillin I was thinking god he's gonna be okay now he's you know he's in safe hands now Alex's flu-like symptoms were caused by a common bacteria normally found harmlessly on the surface of the skin in an extraordinarily rare case streptococcal strand a or toxic shock syndrome had entered Alex's body and was attacking it from within the doctor came in and sat with us and told us that his strapped a I didn't even know strap a existed didn't even know what strap a was didn't have a clue everything was dying all his toes were dying all his fingertips are dying in all its ear notes his nose I thought we would listen I didn't think you would survive we had a decision to take the surgeon said the left arms going to kill him if it wasn't removed so I gave the approval for the left arm and she hurriedly spoke on and said and followed neon we're going to have to take both legs and she then said and I'll do my best with the right arm she worked on his right arm and she worked hard on that with the hand but the arm has to go [Music] [Music] I came back the next morning and I felt very scared for him and very vulnerable for him really vulnerable [Music] you know after a cool waking up when I can recall the pain [Music] like all seeing friends around the bedside when things are really bad what are you on life support you're gonna go you have no idea what's going on you have no concept of what's happening and no one's gonna tell you all we think you're dying and I can recall the pain of like god that is really real you know my legs have gone they called me and I'm gonna take him off his ventilator slightly to see if he had brain damage and all these consultants all these nurses around me and they said would you ask him a question that he can shake his head out that only you two would know in our relationship for the last eight years every morning I'd wake up say we were are we know so I asked what he Mary meets if he had brain damage and he said no so no brain damage absolutely fine brain is working fine [Music] over nine months Alex undergoes 11 major operations to stabilize his body he spent most of this time in hospital away from his family [Music] Alex's partner Lucy and their three-year-old son Sam visit him as often as they can Lucy van Sam you know those two make me in the world so incredibly lucky to ever lips are on the way today alex is ready for the first operation on his mouth the family hope it will help rebuild his face but it will be the first in a series of operations that could last over two years I chose my George Clooney CEO Terry why it's it's really hard at the moment because that Paulette Ladd seen so much of his dad goes through vast amounts of change physically for some to see his father like that is quite scary to see him I mean looking like a completely different person I look so alien to me I think you struggled to get close give me a hug that he certainly won't kiss me facial surgery for the relationship with Sam is it's hugely important I think hopefully it will make all the difference ideally to look like how I used to I'll found it now is this genuinely sorry about it but really really excited to get this just know that right there yeah I shop I see after 13 hours in surgery alex has returned [Music] [Music] you know you look at anything diseases these are looking at and I think it's it's this shock factor I felt very scared I felt alone you know I couldn't stop crying I know once with my session explained about it's good I existed on the left I thought I understood why you know taste good times too quickly or you can use you again rather than keep taking this is skin off you anything you she's kidding they're taking the first time you know I serious I said yeah you know maybe beautiful should be warned if I come off so I look like nobody it's quite a shot she's like it's nothing you know looking at the wrong way big after almost a year of operations alex has returned home with the hope of adapting to a new life with his family [Music] it's gone down this side it's all going to just grow into your faces let that goes yeah that's fine there's like no look at me straight on no just because you've got a bit sticking out which is your extra flap no still look like a clown what does he look like sorry me cow yeah I didn't think going into the surgery that it would had this profound effect on surely me and on sounds like an unfortunate hers oh yeah I wanna give me a big cuddle I think if I was a sweetheart Alden either fear my father in in this condition then I would find it very very open very strange I missed that time with Sam and the closeness and awful help is served it's the one thing I think I guess we don't know Sarah definitely who's that customers in there John now the talax is at home Lucy has returned to running the family business a pub and guest house on her own alex is now being looked after by a carer at home while he continues his rehabilitation and surgery on his mouth it's really really hard the first time I'd got back into bed with him to have a cuddle please like getting him back into bed with somebody that you know after you've been away from you getting but I didn't know who he was I was too scared I was too scared to touch him or ask for a cuddle and it's Frank you know he's afraid of his body you know he must be thinks of himself oh my god this is what she's ended up with [Music] what Elysium I see how it was to have here now you know it's nothing I just can't imagine what she's thinking she looks today although he struggles or not it's very hard to see with her you know she works so hard all the time you know she's always stressed out it's you know it's hard work um you know I just think without all this it would be a lot easier for you know everyone I'm sure people do still think it you know why muster with him do I you know why [Music] I absolutely love and it's the first time that I've ever loved anybody as much as I've loved to anybody you know what when I got with Alex I didn't care who it was as long as a he made me smile and made me a cup of tea in the morning now the cup of tea in the morning has gone [Music] but he still makes me smile argues questions me and he's the only person that does that so yeah love not because he had nice legs shocking legs shocking legs so I don't really care about the legs but yet love you alex has been home with his family for six weeks but is now returning to hospital for an extended period of rehabilitation okay then chill all right so much okay in an effort to improve his motor skills and become more independent he'll stay in a rehabilitation center for ten weeks okay this is his stuff for me to get you know a bit of my Alex back and this will give him his n dependents back call me tonight yeah I'm work hard take the first time in your life [Music] very very anxious at the moment little anticipation I think now are you in a hurry cos you're in a hurry or in a hurry because this is your usual speed that is the usual speed okay so sometimes like that's really good I can hit you around the most difficult thing for him is to lose his arms yeah well his loves in life at golf cooking reading writing drawing and they all take all hands you know and he was a big hugger Alex loved giving cuddles especially with Sam had I made him go to the doctor's earlier or had I made him do all these things sooner you know I'd saw he was ill but not now being able to hug his son and have that feeling of a proper cuddle I think yeah awful how do you know you don't much cutting up food no none at all okay having been given prosthetic arms for the first time Alex will attempt to learn basic tasks again except that's the wrong angle just can't get that I'm pick that Oh pick that bit up first pick that bit up first and then I hope she's wrong way up got way up and then doing that and just try picking that up with your with your hook yes that's good well done well done is it just slightly too slightly too long up to higher cut let me guess which would actually also make it a better angle and you leave the non-slip mat the dicing match No it's said I'd start out doesn't know when you're thinking weeks and weeks of it you know you fight along then but you know it's still go hard but it's the only option Tom's she could just take your weight to the left the rehabilitation center is more than two hours drive from Alex's home with a busy pub and guest house to run Lucy can only visit with Sam son is really important for Alex had something to you know strife altered to to wake up every morning for to make sure that he's got some burden to be proud of [Music] you know he's still Sam's dad no matter what he's Sam's father no arms no legs no way he has to be a father he has to be a role model for salmon if Alex shows that he's so powerful and so committed and so driven it will only go through to some eventually right Oh back to work [Music] I don't want him to feel that dark perhaps I can't do anything do you know I mean I don't want him to feel that you know because I've lost legs and arms I can't you know I'm helpless [Music] gonna hook let's see what I can do alex is on a weekend break from rehab it's a rare visit home to spend time with this family ready then what they're going to are they meet quite shocking no Sarah as much for his lips I mean he has got Bart Simpson okay do you know what he has some change personality-wise at all he's still the same mouth but he has got more Drive than he's ever had I'm Chloe hasn't become a recluse is he which you could have quite easy to come over anything exchanges about he does have a drawing he's not can you say lazy maybe this was meant for him if that come my way I would have rolled over and just switched off the machine myself okay every nursing said told me tell me on every shift it's okay it's okay I think it's like to drink it came back and it was normal they're like you know I was drinking glasses or a message back about them unit wise I was easily an alcoholic and I think I was starting to become a little bit lost in there because I wasn't very happy before Alex fell ill the pub that the family was living in was struggling Lucy then opened a second pub to rescue the business at that time there was not enough support with what I was trying to do you know I had to go out to work every day and it did put pressure on us is it really stressful time would actually see each other for a few hours a week in fact we were pretty much separate you know Alex loved drinking he was in one of our pubs all day and he would drink too much where I'd come in from work every day and been working and Alex would have been having a drink at the bar that didn't help I just felt like he was just taking the piss really now I'd be very easy for him a to become a recluse to enter alcohol again and I'm not gonna bring some up into that alex is back in hospital for an operation to widen his mouth she is making you so you can smile police were hoping about her it's small way first of all so finally in surgery it's arrived sound you seem to go from since for both you know three-foot send and their next arms facial surgery on the go for the foreseeable future that clearly must affect our and I should show you a bigger effort does not care to look at me like that you really help me I'm trying to feel that closeness between us so they you know going through that one little boy out like that [ __ ] well you know he's a big factor that one I think it slice in the future and realized it's time for me was these are the gloom he thought kept us all together the same way he said follow always if you don't understand the surgery lasts the whole night the following morning Lucy and Sam are the first visitors and then don't you do that cuz you'll ruin your teeth no you don't have to we've got heat sense of Swing sure a bit of it sir right right right so when he has problems teeth and just go to the dentist you can get in the car and take him every time yeah that's the only go Dennis you've been a good way get a lot how does that work Samuel don't listen [Laughter] [Music] don't wake them up buddy for Thursday it's school hello morning in school this is the first day just waking up hey these sums been there as the the key to this whole thing I'm getting Alex's attitude that one day he'll go back walking the dog miss salmon Sam will say a lot when you've got big legs so we're gonna be playing football [Music] yeah it's crying it's quite a nice ball gets going up just like a tender their innocence in a sense monkeys all grown up drink your drink I don't give a [ __ ] I can't give up like oh you don't drink you through your mouth et toca Pop's now otherwise I'll beat you we're right my goodness just buttons gone again got me you and your minis looking minis don't you great great great okay sighs you have so much fun honestly why I cry cry hey you're right big boy big boy yeah love you know sir yes won't be there long and I'll see you this afternoon you're not gonna meet that on your little bit okay your daddy kiss where's where's Jack Jack and Claire where's Christians here this is their Christian Tina okay so hey you'd be right I'm not going anywhere anyway [Music] [Music] it's very difficult for Alex to when they go to school and see all the other dad's all the other dads can run and play Alexander can't have fun Alex feels it of course he does he's his dad and he wanted to do those things with him it hasn't happened but it will happen because Alexander with legs will be able to do the things that other dads do but I do think through this period he's missed an awful lot they really go to the shoulder something.if them right up to your ears and then all the way around it's been one and a half years since Alex fell ill he's leaving home again and returning to hospital to increase his mobility by learning to walk on advanced prosthetic legs yeah that's that's about no interest in staying on oh so what's happening is the airs get not being still doubt so it's coming loose while I'm walking bring an errand that's it and that's it with Alex away Lucy continues to manage their business and run their home it's not early on a mess resolutely shoes up here he's got hundreds all his shoes please heal her at some point in love prosthetics that will have his feet on them so he can go back to wearing shoes he's going back to size 11 feet he's already chosen as Gucci loafers that he wants me to get him for when he starts walking again I think it was such a because that was who Alex was his identity was he loved putting the jacket on he loved print shirt on any love dressing up so I think for him his identity will be back him he'll be back and make him feel sexy again I just don't tell her too much early you know I'll tell you a little bit how was your day yeah it was fine you know I'm not gonna tell her well actually I've got the legs at 9:00 they were back in the workshop by 10:00 didn't get it back till one o'clock the afternoon and whatever you know I'll eat that all that gets left out you know she's got enough to get stressed out about a home with no business and sounds fun she gets enough out of me but alex has been given the best prosthetic legs the NHS has to offer if they work he's hoping to become less reliant on his family that's right you know isn't the right leg you know it's one thing having people put the liners on this another thing being unable to lock the leg to go to get out isn't what's best but it's the only thing that's half decent and available it's not good not good yeah oh no I think it was the prosthetic going back there cool yeah I think so oh cool I think you caught that oh yeah no I know look with beaten up today oh yeah why fell over it up you fell over where where's your hook on it's been amputated this afternoon it was like I'm over tipping on the right so I stacked it about three times yeah so they've taken it away again how'd you feel mm-hmm frustrated in the moment you know I did say to save out my left left leg falling off it's funny office also knows what's going on it's you and I think you're intelligent enough and you've read so much about this and you know exactly what exactly what you want you know in a perfect world I want to be you know yeah do it privately I don't know we can't afford it no no you can you know knowing how bad the system is now with the prosthetics and the arctic air and being in the system knowing that I'm gonna stay in the system probably for the rest of my life realistically knowing that doesn't really give you much confidence as in the future and I can't see it getting any better this is something you gotta fight for now all of it a few changes you're gonna have to do it that's it it always be very sad if you needed me yeah yeah yeah I would always be there have you asked me to be by your side I would be there that's just a somebody said to me there has to be a point where you said you know you wants to walk away and I said never there's never been a point where I've wants to walk away from it ever never it's never ever even questioned it's never even coming to my life today lucky walk away from this yes you're mad why would I want to walk well what exactly exactly I gotta be so edgy yeah we have 70 but I like a challenge and going [Music] I just had a call from Alex to say that he was coming home on Thursday night and he checked himself out and there's no point in being there because taxpayers monies being spent on some equipment that he's never gonna be able to use I started to libro Hansen it was a difficult decision to make because they've been fantastic all the way through but it's simply not within their budget so you spend any more money on the knee joint which is the right knee joint that I need yeah he's disappointed in it oh god yeah really disappointed in that he's not gonna get him all he wants is parallax there's nothing else but he just can't get him we need to figure out a way how we can do it ourselves I don't think I'll be tie shoelaces anytime soon I've come upstairs to sort through all the clothes that I've had and stored away everything pretty much is obsolete all the shoes shoes I love yeah just here to have a look at it all again one last time I guess and then getting rid of it I feel like I'm a different person you know to how I was like prior to when I fell ill is much much different so yeah part of me is kind of assuring out the old and and welcoming the new it's quite cathartic I think you know it's quite it it feels quite clean too to get rid of them really a lot of those players have seen an awful lot of drinking going and the years gone by you know and I don't miss being or that I don't miss those days what did what did daddy is drinker their pub well he stopped drinking I have still drinking Guinness here you drink juice now yeah I drink more juice in it yeah a try again your legs get big and bigger could wreak juice you know looking back to how it was then you know I was I wasn't on the right path so falling L for me he was a saving grace really and it's got my head straight and clear and you know make you you make your choices as to what's important and I couldn't go back to that now not knowing how I was I'm very lucky that I've been given a second chance you know plenty of people don't get that hi we have sit down Paul it's been 21 months since Alex fell ill today the family woke up to some big news we're all in bed as normal Sam included and Alex just said something like where you've been asking me for so long we must we'll just get married in a very unromantic way by the way and I just sort of repeated what he said to me and I said are you asking me to marry you and he said yes and that was it I changed my mind about the whole marriage thing because of everything that I kind of inadvertently put her through really how she copes with it and didn't waver and stuck by me it's quite clear that it's got to be her no I've always expected it because I'm gonna give in at some point I know I drained him down I'd get him down at some point I'd nag him down to it so I knew it's always gonna happen he just didn't know it's gonna happen since falling ill alex has been determined to increase his independence but so far none of the prosthetic legs have enabled him to walk it's become quite clear that the National Health Service have got no way of funding the knee joints though I require which means we're gonna have to raise the money or the profile of the problem on our own alex has been introduced to a private trust organizer in the hope of beginning his own formal fundraising organization your year it's going to be full of exciting moves forward things some things you you haven't even done before the search is on for the costly equipment that could transform Alex and his family's life rocket boosters yes the cost of it all told with prosthetics is about twenty four and a half thousand pairs that money is worth every penny for it you know it means that Lucy and I can go out with Sam his bike you know we can do stuff to family you can't really put a price on a little bit of Independence over the next few months Alex's trust begins raising its first money a team of volunteers joined with a goal to raise the three million pounds Alex is estimated to need over the course of his lifetime you touch people who make all this yeah she constantly takes the piss [Music] now 22 months after falling ill alex is striving ahead and the trust is delivering [Music] the Dinos gone now what's the time's going by I see something new happen every week I see him now open up a fridge I see him now pour himself a drink of squash he's very very independent now and he wants to do all himself all of this is attitude of mind and life if you want your life you will go out and get it [Music] [Applause] Alex and Lucy have gathered their closest friends together to celebrate their engagement can I propose a toast please to all of you around the table tonight it's the first time since I fell ill that I've got you all here together at the same time and throughout everything that's gone on your friendship has been invaluable to all of us even you Joe and the one person that's made it even better outside of all you lot has been Lucy so you've been incredible to me and I could not be sat here now so happy without you so can we propose a toast I think they're what's kept us together and kept his quite strong and yeah it's honesty I'm quite blunt were very opposite people but I think if I hadn't been honest with you you weren't gonna get better yeah well I got better known as the river no you wouldn't know how to sail with them you would know let's be honest oh and then you have another what I have realized is that I always thought I was the strong person in this relationship so where I'd gone on for years about him being laid back and oh god he's got those got no Drive I was totally wrong he was he is the strong one he is the driven one not me I got there so then that goes about like that I think you get it you've done it hey yeah cuz kiss let's cuddle why the secret oh you have a gun hand sorry Hado with your legs you should legs [Music] I would say the last two years have been the most tragic not brilliant two years of my life from being minutes away from death and then coming all the way through to now being blissfully happy [Music] now everything that we learned in the last two years I guess for most is that I think it's just keep going we never look back no matter what you come up against just can't go [Music]

Channel: Real Stories

Views: 54,466,318

Rating: 4.8900547 out of 5

Keywords: alex lewis documentary full, Full Documentary, 2018 documentary, Extraordinary people, loss of limbs, Amazing Documentaries, Documentary, medical, 2018, Documentary Movies - Topic, father loses limbs, toxic shock syndrome, alex lewis, Amazing Stories, Real Stories, Documentaries, alex lewis full, 2018 documentaries, inspirational documentary films, full length documentaries, real stories, alex lewis documentary, medical miracles, medical mysteries

Id: dMqeMcIO_9w

Length: 47min 45sec (2865 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 14 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/Harvick4Pats11]

Can I feel bad without watching because I don't want to feel worse by watching.

[u/pincheloca88]

Watched this last night. His son not wanting to kiss him or be near him was just sad.

[u/[deleted]]

Does this video have a section where it explains how to not get Toxic Shock Syndrome?

[u/alepolait]

kaitlyn dobrow has a somewhat similar story in YouTube, is not a documentary it’s a casual vlog and she tells the story of getting bacterial meningitis and the aftermath. She lost all 4 limbs too.

Terrifying because as much as we say “don’t ignore symptoms” it’s really hard that someone would go to the hospital for a cold or just weakness.

[u/MimosasMadeMeDoIt]

Incredibly moving. The love and support he received from his partner was truly beautiful. You see so many cases where relationships fall apart due to the stress and strain of the situation. Their positive attitudes highly attributed to Alex’s progress. He could have easily given up because it was “too hard” but he chose to see it as a second chance. Totally worth the watch. Left me feeling motivated.

[u/BearWithVastCanyon]

This is crazy to see, my dad was actually one of the doctors who fought to save Alex's life

Alex has said a lot of time that his life now is actually much more rich than before his illness, he does a lot of work to push the boundaries of technology which assist amputees

For example my dad and his business partner have fitted him with a simple RFID chip in his arm which acts as a key to open his front door

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICP_16treho

Amazing how something so small can impact his life so positively

[u/scandy82]

His mouth looks much better now

[u/benjonce]

At the end of the video he said this caused him to have a clear mind about the future and really probably saved him from drinking.

[u/RamenTheory]

I watched this documentary a while ago. It's really interesting because it's not just about some super tragic story. It's about a man who had virtually no motivation or drive until being tested by such a hardship. I also read an article somewhere that said that his apathetic nature may actually be what made it possible for him to cope. I know lots of people probably don't want to watch this because it's sad, but it's also very interesting because of how his personality affects how he deals with it and has a lot of hopeful tones to offer too.