When Delvin Ellison of Albuquerque, NM noticed swelling in his left foot, he didn’t imagine how serious it would become. But as the condition worsened to the point where he could no longer walk, he sought help from Dr. Stephanie Parks. The stakes were high: Delvin had already undergone an amputation on his right leg, and losing his left foot would have dramatically changed his life.
A Rapidly Escalating Emergency
Upon Delvin’s arrival at the emergency department, Dr. Parks — a foot and ankle surgeon at Lovelace Medical Group in Albuquerque, New Mexico — quickly recognized the severity of the situation. Delvin was suffering from a rapidly progressing necrotizing soft‑tissue infection.
Delvin recalls the moment he understood the gravity of what was happening: “I saw them put on their gowns and facemasks. That’s when I realized it was more serious than just a swollen foot.”
He was at real risk of a second amputation.
Strength From Faith and Community
Delvin is an active member of Legacy Church in Albuquerque — a community he calls his “church family.” Their encouragement became a lifeline.
“My family are the ones that encouraged me. ‘Keep going, fight on,’ they said.” Their faith, combined with Delvin’s own determination, carried him through the most difficult moments of his recovery.
A Mission to Save the Limb
Dr. Parks immediately began limb‑salvage efforts. She performed an extensive debridement and then moved forward with grafting to cover exposed soft‑tissue structures — tendons, bone, ligaments, and nerves.
Her goal was clear: “We needed to achieve coverage as quickly as possible to ensure good wound healing and a functional outcome.”
Support From the Kerecis Team
Sean Torres, the local Kerecis representative in Albuquerque, played an important role in helping Delvin understand the treatment process.
“Everything I had questions about, he was already answering for me,” Delvin said.
Dr. Parks noted that the handling, ease of application, and strong adherence of the Kerecis fish‑skin graft made it the right choice for Delvin’s complex wound. “The graft adheres to the wound bed really well, and we can easily place a VAC over it,” she explained.
Wound - Before and After Pictures
Care That Goes Beyond Surgery
Delvin speaks highly of Dr. Parks — not only for her surgical skill but also for her compassion.
After successfully closing the wound, Dr. Parks delivered the words Delvin had been waiting for.
“That was simple,” Delvin said, “but it was huge.”
A New Chapter Ahead
Before this medical crisis, Delvin worked as a welder and pipefitter — a job he loved and excelled at, especially as a teacher and mentor to others in the trade. The infection forced him to step away from that work, but his recovery has opened the door to new possibilities. All that and more is revealed in the video here above.
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From the town of Ísafjörður in northwest Iceland, Kerecis develops, manufactures, and distributes patented fish-skin medical devices that support soft tissue regeneration in the body, with regulatory clearance in the United States, Europe, and beyond.
