Skin grafts planned Posted: Friday, October 3, 2008 10:30 pm
At least now, there’s a game plan for Wes Kennedy.
The Union City High School assistant football coach will have skin grafts on several second-degree burns under his arms and on his torso, according to his wife, Teka. She said some of his deep second-degree burns were not healing as they had hoped and surgery would be scheduled as soon as possible.
Kennedy, who received chemical burns on 75 percent of his body in an accident in Memphis last weekend, has developed an infection that doctors hope they can isolate.
Reportedly, the bacteria will be identified as either a high-end or low-end type. If it is high-end, he will be transferred from the Step-Down Burn Unit at The Med to another Memphis hospital, where he will receive antibiotics intravenously for 14-21 days.
If a low-end bacteria is identified, Kennedy will be discharged from the hospital while taking oral antibiotics.
He will still receive treatments for his burns on a daily basis in either scenario and will continue with a physical therapy schedule.
Kennedy developed a high fever on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights, as high as 106 on Wednesday. A scheduled visit by the UCHS football team on Thursday was postponed while that fever was brought under control.
The coach was resting comfortably with a normal temperature late Thursday night.
Cards of encouragement may be sent to Coach Wes Kennedy, c/o Regional Medical Center, 842 Jefferson Ave., Room 70 Burn Step-Down Unit, Memphis TN 38103.
Published in The Messenger 10.3.08 None | 
