A police officer has been "on the brink of death three times this month" after doctors found a mysterious bacteria in his lung.
Michael Dodd, from Conway, Arkansas, US, started to feel unwell after he developed a dry cough while working the Memorial Day weekend.
The 37-year-old didn't think much of it and continued to attend his child's football game when he suddenly stated to get hot chills, according to wife, Laura.
She told ABC 13: "We were at my son’s football game and my husband started feeling the chills, but it’s very hot. I think I have a fever so when we got home after the practice, he had a 103.6 fever."
Laura immediately took him to the nearest emergency department when she was stunned to learn he had pneumonia in his right lung.
Doctors told him to head home to rest, and prescribed him some medication but he continued to feel rough.
Michael said: "Which led to me passing out and falling in the bathroom. My kids were home with me, thank God they have their little cell phones, so they called a friend of mine and he had to come in there and help me."
He woke up to discover he was covered in a rash and immediately made his way to a nearby medical centre.
However, he was forced to wait up to 14 hours before medics were able to admit him to the intensive care unit.
His conditions continued to get worse, as he went into anaphylactic shock, before being discharged by medics after his pneumonia had showed signs of getting better.
Soon after, doctors discovered something in his right lung, Michael said: "She says she finds this cavitary lesion. She says it’s not good, it’s a pretty serious infection."
The lesion, which started small, quickly grew to be five times its size, as he was rushed to different hospitals for treatment.
"The infectious disease doctor told me yesterday they may never know how this happened or what it is," he said.
Doctors were forced to install a drain into the infected lung but they won't know if the treatment is working for another week.
“I’ve been on the brink of death here at 37 years old, you know three times in this month", he said.
“I’m in a situation where I can’t do anything for anybody else, I can’t even do anything myself. I’m always the person doing for all of us and at this time I can’t do anything."
Michael admitted if the treatment doesn't work, he will need to have another surgery, but it will involve a 25% loss of his lung, which he admits is risky.
A GoFundMe page has been set-up to help the family and has raised over $33,000 out of its target of $75,000.
