After being bitten by his cat, an Oregon man says he contracted the bubonic plague and lived to tell the tale. INSIDE EDITION explains.
Paul Gaylord's hands turned as black as charcoal from the bubonic plague that he caught it from his pet cat, Charlie.
It happened when he saw his cat carrying a dead field mouse in his mouth. He tried to pull it out and Charlie bit him. Three days later, he had a fever of 103 degrees.
Soon, his hands and feet turned black. It was the plague.
In the Middle Ages it was called The Black Death, and it killed half the population of Europe in the 14th century.
Paul fell into a coma for 27 days. His wife, Debbie thought he was a goner.
She told INSIDE EDITION, “I thought I lost him.”
See More On Gaylord's Bubonic Plague.
Dr. John Lutz from Bend Memorial Clinic said, “He required every intervention known to medical science.”
Paul’s son came to say goodbye. He even received the last rites.
Now, Paul can say, “I survived The Black Death!”
Unfortunately, the gangrene was so bad doctors were forced to amputate his fingers and toes. He had to learn how to walk with no toes which is difficult because toes help balance the body.
Charlie the cat has been put down. Unbelievably, considering what he has gone through, Paul and his wife, who live in Oregon, got another cat.
INSIDE EDITION asked, “Why in the heck would you get another cat?”
He said, “Why? Because I love cats and it's not the cat's fault.”
