A LEIGHTON mother-of-three has spoken of her terror after a flesh eating bacteria attacked her internal organs, leaving her just “hours from death”.
Debbie Woolhead, 43, grazed her knee on a gravel path as she tripped after a night out, but thought nothing of the tiny cut and headed to bed.
But within hours, the throbbing cut had swelled dramatically, prompting her brother-in-law to call for an ambulance.
After several blood tests, doctors at Luton and Dunstable Hospital diagnosed a flesh-eating disease – known as Necrotising Fasciitis (NF) – and rushed Ms Woolhead to the operating theatre.
By this point her lungs were failing as the life-threatening disease gripped her body and began to attack vital organs.
Prior to the surgery, Ms Woolhead had to consent to her leg being amputated if necessary, while her family was told that her survival chances were slim.
The last person she called before going under the knife was her mother Rita, who said she struggled to comprehend what was happening.
“My legs went to jelly and I didn’t know what to do,” Rita told the LBO.
“We were all sick with worry and just praying that she would pull through.”
When Debbie woke up, she had no idea whether her limbs were still intact.
“The first thing my daughter Amie asked me was whether I still had my leg and straight away she lifted up the covers to check – thankfully it was still there,” Debbie said.
“It was a terrifying ordeal and I was incredibly lucky to survive – others haven’t been so lucky.”
After three weeks in intensive care, Debbie then spent a month in the care of Rita, who she described as “incredibly supportive”.
Three operations later, Ms Woolhead still has a 12x4 inch wound on her leg and is plagued by a throbbing pain that makes it difficult to sleep.
Her story has hit the headlines this week, but despite featuring in several national newspapers, she has yet to receive a penny for the stories.
She added: “I feel let down really because an agency said they would inform me before it appeared anywhere, but I’ve not heard a thing.
“It makes me angry because I’m going to an NF ball next month and was planning to donate some of the money to the charity behind it – the Lee Spark Foundation. It’s like they’re profiting from my pain.”
If you’d like to donate to the Lee Spark Foundation, visit http://www.nfsuk.org.uk/