Weeks after being diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, South Carolina mom Lana Kuykendall was reunited with her 1-month-old twins Abigail and Ian.
The 36-year-old is now listed as being in fair condition after undergoing several surgeries to treat skin and tissue affected by the flesh-eating bacteria, CNN reports.
Earlier this week, Kuykendall was able to see her two children for the first time since being admitted into the hospital with the infection just days after giving birth. And the new mom was looking forward to her special visitors.
"Lana couldn't stop looking at the clock to see if it was time yet," Brian Swaffer, Kuykendall's brother, told WYFF-TV. "Lana grinned from ear to ear when she was holding them."
So far, doctors say they're optimistic about Kuykendall's progress.
"Recovery will be a slow process, but she's doing well at this time," Dr. Bill Kelly, a hospital epidemiologist for Greenville Hospital System, told Fox Carolina. "We believe she has turned the corner."
Another case of necrotizing fasciitis was reported in South Carolina on June 4.
But although stories about the flesh-eating bacteria have been brought to light in recent months, health officials say it's not unusual to see about 10-15 cases per year, Greenville Online reports.
According to Dr. Phyllis Ritchie, an infectious-disease specialist, there are about 500 to 1,000 cases of necrotizing fasciitis in the United States annually, the expert wrote for the Oregonion.