What looked like an ordinary brown cardboard box arrived at Meagan Orton's home in Goose Creek on Oct. 23. But inside were seven bags of what she considers life-giving fluid.
"It was pretty miraculous," said Orton, who has a very rare genetic condition that requires daily infusions of Lactated Ringer's Solution. "I couldn't believe it. I'm still in shock.
" A full weekly shipment of seven bags of Lactated Ringer's Solution arrived at Meagan Orton's home in Goose Creek a couple of days after her story appeared in The Post and Courier. She is one of tens of thousands of patients across the country who were facing dire circumstances after Hurricane Helene flooded a plant in North Carolina that makes the majority of IV fluids for U.S.
patients. Baxter International's facility in North Cove was inundated by water and mud from the deluge Helene dropped on western North Carolina, and the two bridges that provide access to the area were also damaged. Baxter supplies at least 60 percent of the IV fluids for the U.
S. through that plant. The company reported Oct.
24 that it now has power, water and wastewater restored and the plant has been cleared as sound by engineers. A temporary bridge is in place and 720 truckloads have already rolled across it from inventory on the site. Deep cleaning has been completed, equipment is being repaired and tested, and "barring any unanticipated developments, Baxter anticipates restarting the highest-throughput IV solutions manufacturing line within the.