Wisconsin father suddenly dies from infection, family says

BAYSIDE, Wis. - A Wisconsin husband, father and youth soccer coach contracted an infection that suddenly claimed his life, his family said.

What they're saying:

Monica Gruber said her brother, Nate Gruber, was the picture of health – a clean eater, athletic and active. Watching him pass away at 43 years old is something she and the family still cannot understand.

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Nate was a father to three little girls and coached his middle daughter's soccer team at the Bavarian Soccer Club. He had aspirations of one day coaching his youngest daughter, too, Monica said.

The issue started last Saturday, May 30. Monica said her brother had a normal Friday evening, but woke up the next day with pain in his right ankle. The family went to the emergency room, and he had surgery the next day.

Nate's foot was amputated to save his leg, the family said, but the infection spread and there was nothing left to do. The Bayside man was soon sedated. He died on Tuesday, June 2.

"We really, really thought as I flew here racing, that he was going to beat this. He was definitely going to beat it. there was no scenario in any of our minds that he was not walking out of that hospital," said Monica. "When we realized what was happening, even the nurses and the doctors in the ICU were crying alongside of us because they had never seen anything so aggressive."

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Monica said the family will be looking into every detail of what happened, not only for Nate, but because they don't want anyone else to go through what they've experienced. 

What you can do:

A GoFundMe online fundraiser was started to help Gruber's family with outstanding medical and funeral expenses.

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