Fans who attended Travis Kelce-starring NFL match at -27°F face amputation threats from severe frostbite
KANSAS, MISSOURI: Some Kansas City Chiefs fans who braved the freezing temperatures at Arrowhead Stadium in January to watch their team beat the Miami Dolphins are now reportedly facing the possibility of losing their limbs due to severe frostbite
The game, which the Chiefs won 26-9, was the coldest in Arrowhead history and the fourth-coldest in NFL history, with a temperature of negative four degrees Fahrenheit and a wind chill of negative 27.
Frostbite victims advised to schedule amputations
According to Fox4KC, 70 percent of the frostbite cases in Kansas City during that cold spell were from people who attended the Chiefs game.
Dr Megan Garcia, of Grossman Burn Center in Missouri, said that most of them are now being told to prepare for amputations.
"The patients who had their frostbite injuries along with the Chiefs game, they are just getting to the point now we are starting to discuss their amputations that might be necessary," said the doctor.
Fans endured weeks of treatment in an oxygen tank
Even those who did not need amputations still had to undergo weeks of treatment in an oxygen tank to heal their frostbitten tissues.
For those lucky 30 percent as per Dr Garcia, the recovery process is long and painful, and the patients will always be vulnerable to future frostbites.
"It’s still a lifelong process. They’ll have sensitivity and pain for the rest of their lives and always will be more susceptible to frostbite in the future," she said according to the outlet.
Taylor Swift was among the celebrities to cheer for Travis Kelce at the game
Travis Kelce, the Chiefs tight end who scored a touchdown in the game, discussed the shocking conditions with his brother on their 'New Heights' Podcast following the game.
He said that he had to run to the heaters every time he was off the field to warm up his hands and feet.
"It was shocking how cold it was," he said on his 'New Heights' podcast the following week.
"That was probably the first game I ever caught myself, even during a drive, if I got taken out for a play, like running over to the heaters to warm up my hands and my feet trying to get feeling back. It was that freaking cold," he said.
"It was almost like it was so cold the wind just never touched you. It just slid right past your icy face. It was nuts, man," added Kelce.
There are LITERAL icicles in Andy Reid's mustache. pic.twitter.com/griIaKKJj1
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 14, 2024
Kelce’s girlfriend, pop star Taylor Swift, was also at the game.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid also became a viral sensation after his mustache appeared to freeze on the sidelines.