Hello, world, again.

January 31, 2019 by Jan Martin Borgersen. Posted on Facebook from Huntsville, Alabama.

This is my first public post since going to Space Camp while infected by flesh eating bacteria.

I’m sure most of you have been following my story thanks to my love, my partner, my wife Sinead’s daily updates to my Facebook feed. Sinead has been called a "force of nature" for her role here, and I can think of no better description. I truly am blessed to have her by my side.

To recap, as quickly as I can, I thought I pulled a muscle in my leg after a run in my Mom’s neighborhood in Florida. Over the course of a few days, my leg looked like it had dermatitis. Then, the morning of December 29, it started turning black and I went into septic shock. A 911 call got me to Huntsville Hospital, where the trauma team and the nursing staff are phenomenal. I was unconscious until January 8, as they performed three surgeries to remove infected tissue on my leg, and started continuous dialysis for my failing kidneys after the sepsis. My wound is now dressed with foam and vacuum sealed with these machines I never knew existed, but are amazing. I have spent the last couple of weeks working on getting all my systems working again (I am now officially free of dialysis!), and now I am about to head back to California for the next phase: Skin grafting over the wound. So I am up, I am happy to be alive, and I still have a long road of recovery ahead of me, but I can see the path!

This was a hard reset of Jan. They turned me off and back on again.

Meanwhile, a few amazing things started happening. Our network turned on. My best friends showed up in Huntsville. My father-in-law flew over from Ireland to eventually take our two boys back home to California. A Meal Train filled up in a day. Our carpool group and other friends in the neighborhood figured out how to get our kids where they need to be. And candles were lit for me around the world. Masses were said for me in Ireland. Prayer circles sprung up. Healing spells were woven. Loving thoughts were sent over email, Facebook, text. We are open minded about what you believe (or don’t believe) and I am grateful to have received such love from so many places. I have no doubt that all these healing thoughts, channeled through Sinead during those darkest days, were what sustained me and helped me pull through.

Also meanwhile, the kindness of strangers here in Alabama turned on. A stranger, eh, new friend minded our children during Space Camp and invited them to a New Years party. Another new friend offered Sinead use of their house, which is on the market, and somewhat furnished. It’s so much nicer going to a home than a hotel room while we are both here. They call it "Southern Hospitality," and there’s truth to that.

Sitting here in a hospital bed for a few weeks, I have re-learned something I already knew, deep down inside: there are good people everywhere. People genuinely want to do good things, and they genuinely want to help where they can. It doesn’t matter if you are in Alabama, California, Ireland, or anywhere else, you will find good, caring, people.

Some of you are still asking how you can help. We are mostly good, to be honest. We do have a large bill to pay to transport me home, and if you wanted to chip in a bit to help there, I will post a link to the GoFundMe in the comments. We feel bad asking for money, but so many of you have offered that we decided to start the campaign.

To really help, though, we ask that you do something nice for someone else. Help a stranger. GIVE BLOOD if you can; it will help some patient like me somewhere. Most of all, help us spread some love and joy, which is what we all need. It is truly remarkable how that can boomerang back at you when you really need it.

We love you all.