Spider bite leaves man without a leg

A Columbia Falls man is in need of a prosthetic leg after a spider bit him recently. Brandi Counsell, the adopted daughter of Ed Allabaugh, said her father, a welder by trade, was bitten by a brown recluse spider about a month ago.

The bite became infected and Allabaugh’s leg was removed by doctors about four inches from his kneecap after the infection began rotting his toes away. The surgery took place last week, and he’s recovering at his Columbia Heights home.

Allabaugh, who also suffers from diabetes, has no health insurance and can’t afford a prosthetic leg, Counsell said. She’s trying to raise between $5,000 and $50,000 to buy her father a prosthetic limb.

Allabaugh was an active person before the spider bite, spending time with his grandchildren and running his mobile business Big Sky Welding. He’s housebound now unless he can get a limb in the next few weeks.

“He’s the kind of person that wouldn’t ask for anything but would give you the shirt off his back,” Counsell said.

Anyone who wants to help can contact Counsell directly at 406-260-8172 or blcounsell@gmail.com or donate online at www.gofundme.com/hmkbxg.