Caroline, a mother of two, experienced a rapid and severe deterioration of her health in April 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to a flesh-eating bacteria infection. Despite a history of type 2 diabetes and prior infections, she described the speed of this illness as unprecedented and felt a loss of control.
What began as a small boil on her leg developed into a painful, hardened "tube" that tracked up her limb. At Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, consultants determined she needed immediate surgery, including multiple skin grafts, and faced a potential year-long hospital stay. Caroline expressed concern for her children at home, but was informed that not undergoing surgery meant she could die by morning.
Surgeons performed a "terrifying" operation to remove a significant portion of her leg to prevent the infection from spreading. Caroline later described the resulting damage as resembling "roadkill." However, medical professionals were ultimately able to save her leg, an outcome she found "astounding."
Following the surgery, Caroline spent two weeks in an intensive care unit in a coma. During this period, her body entered "survival mode," leading to multiple organ failures. She credits the medical staff for their swift diagnosis and treatment, which she believes saved her life. IMAGE4 A 3D computer illustration of Group-A Streptococcus bacteria, showing what looks like rough light green spheres on a purple and yellow background. IMAGE7 A team of clinicians in blue scrubs. Three have lanyards around their neck. They are standing in front of the doors to one of the theatres