Gary Oates had a three-inch diabetic ulcer on his foot that went almost to the bone. It was so bad that doctors told him they might have to amputate — a terrible prospect.
“The thought of me losing my foot,” he describes in a recent video, “just scared the living daylights out of me.”
Fortunately, Gary found Dr. Brittany Wojnicki, a podiatric surgeon at the Paris Clinic Wound Center familiar with the Kerecis Omega3 Wound fish-skin graft for hard-to-heal wounds. The Paris Clinic is part of the Horizon Health network of care facilities in and around Edgar County, Illinois.
Dr. Wojnicki, a new podiatrist, had learned of the healing benefits of Kerecis during her residency. The Kerecis representative in the area, Miranda Grubb was delighted to help her understand the product more and have her start using it. “Dr. Wojnicki is one of my favorite doctors to work with. She really puts her patients first,” said Miranda. “Kerecis was a last ditch effort to heal Gary and avoid an amputation, and it worked beautifully. Getting to work with amazing doctors, healing difficult wounds and seeing Kerecis change lives is why I love my job.”
“When you look into Kerecis, the fish-skin graft — fish skin and human skin are actually very similar,” explains Dr. Wojnicki. “Wounds get this chronic inflammation in them, and that’s what makes them hard to heal sometimes. . . . The fish is full of Omega3 fatty acids, which decreases a lot of inflammation.” Describing the wounds she´s treated with Kerecis, she adds, “Every single one I´ve used it on just progresses like crazy.”
Dr. Wojnicki was very pleased with how well Gary´s wound healed. “I think we had him healed about a month and a half after we started to use the fish skin.”
And Gary couldn´t have been happier. “The results are perfect,” he says. “My foot is completely healed.”
About Dr. Wojnicki:
Brittany Wojnicki, DPM, is a full-time podiatric surgeon who joined the practice of Philip Holloway, DPM, in August 2020. Together they see patients in the Paris Clinic and perform surgeries at Paris Community Hospital in Paris, Illinois. In addition to podiatry, Dr. Wojnicki provides care in Horizon Health’s Wound Center, which treats chronic and/or non-healing wounds.
She earned her Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Degree from the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. Her training focused heavily on surgery, including total ankle replacements, flat foot surgery, and diabetic foot reconstructions. She completed her residency at the OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center–Rockford, and she holds a Bachelors Degree in Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
About the Paris Clinic:
The Paris Clinic is a rural health clinic providing care for patients of all ages. With healthcare providers that include physicians and family nurse practitioners, the facility offers podiatry and other specialty care along with primary care services. More information about the Paris Clinic can be found here.
MyHorizonhealth.org/GarysStory
