Ballroom dancer loses legs after severe case of meningitis
By Marlei Martinez
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ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — It’s been a whirlwind of a year for Rafael Castellano as he went from a professional dancer in the ballroom to a patient in a hospital bed.
As Florida’s health department was monitoring an outbreak of meningitis, a disease that can cause inflammation around the brain and spine, the 32-year-old ended up with a severe case in June that sent him into a coma.
“We were told that I was going to die, that I wasn’t going to make it,” Castellano told WESH from his hospital bed this summer.
But after nearly three long months in the hospital, Castellano is now home.
“I’m thankful for the fact that I’m here. A lot of people don’t make it out of this,” he said.
But, Castellano still faces challenges, and because the disease was so bad, the dancer had to have his legs amputated.
“My legs are like my instrument,” he said. “But at the same time, I do feel lucky in the sense… that I’m able to spend time with my friends and my family.”
While there are tough days, Castellano shows the strength of his spirit.
“This disease, it doesn’t define me,” he said. “It made me stronger in many different ways that I didn’t think it was possible before.”
Castellano said he is going to dance again. And not only that, he hopes to teach again too.
He also wants to share what he learned on his road to recovery.
“Vaccines are so important in so many different ways,” he said. “I’m not the first person to go through something like this. But if I can stop someone from going through this, that’s a win.”
Meningitis is preventable. The Florida Department of Health provides vaccines and said certain groups should consider vaccination.
“Before, I took things for granted, and now, I see everything in a whole different perspective,” Castellano said. “In life, we tend to worry a lot about career or where we want to go next, but we forget about what’s in here and what’s important at times, like being happy and being healthy.”
Castellano has a GoFundMe page to help with medical and rehabilitation expenses.
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