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The Mt. Vernon, Wash., 14-year-old had contracted meningococcal disease, also known as bacterial meningitis, a rare but potentially deadly infection that can kill a healthy young person in less than a day.

So aggressive was Carl's infection that he had to be airlifted to Children's Hospital in Seattle. En route, he was resuscitated three times. Once hospitalized, doctors put him in a drug-induced coma for four weeks and treated him with 25 different medications to keep his body functioning. The high doses of antibiotics weren't enough. The fast-moving infection resulted in gangrene and he lost both feet and three fingers to amputation.

In just five months, Carl went from a strapping 185-pound football player to a weak 119-pound teenager. The seven operations for skin grafting and amputation were only the beginning. Physical therapy continued for years afterward.

Despite the hardships, Carl and his parents are far from bitter. "I want people to look on my experience not as a bad thing, but a good thing," Carl tells WebMD.

Who’s at Risk for Meningitis

Before their son got sick, Curt and Lori Buher say they weren't aware of the vaccine available to prevent the disease -- nor the disease itself.

Teens and young adults are at increased risk for meningitis, accounting for about 15% of all cases reported in the U.S., according to the National Meningitis Association. Certain lifestyle factors, such as crowded conditions in college dormitories or irregular sleep patterns, are thought to increase risk of the disease.

The disease affects about 1,500 Americans a year. It’s transmitted through an exchange of respiratory droplets, such as sneezing or coughing, or through direct contact with someone infected, such as kissing.

One of seven cases among teens results in death, according to the National Meningitis Association.