Mum dies after ‘ingrown hair’ turned into flesh-eating bug
A Scottish grandma tragically passed away after her bad back turned out to be a flesh-eating bacteria which was supposedly caused by an ingrown hair.
Sharon Alexander was struggling with back pain having returned home from work as a pastry chef on 13 February but found herself in hospital two days later as things rapidly worsened.
After arriving in hospital, the 72-year-old was diagnosed with a rare but severe flesh-eating bacterial infection, known as necrotising fasciitis.
The disease destroys the body's soft tissue and Sharon and her family were warned that they might need to amputate her leg, but they later revealed that there was nothing they could do when the infection spread to the rest of her body.
Advert
She would sadly pass away on 16 February, just three days after first noticing her bad back, with doctors suggesting to the family that the infection may have stemmed from an ingrown hair, since they didn't notice any visible cuts on her body.
Sharon's daughter Scarlett has now spoken out about the 'nightmare' ordeal while also issuing a warning about the dangers of necrotising fasciitis.
She said: "They told us mum was really, really sick and she'd be in hospital for months and months.
"We were told she'd need her leg amputated and, best-case scenario, she'd need 24-hour nursing. I don't think she'd have much quality of life.
"[The infection is] a doctor's worst nightmare because it's in there and has already caused so much damage.
"It all happened so quickly. There were a lot of 'ifs'. She went from working on Friday to being in a coma on a ventilator [days later].
"They told us they couldn't find the source of it. They told one of our relatives that it could've been an ingrown hair on her back.
"I think that's what they suspected. My dad said she didn't have any cuts or scrapes so it's very strange."
The loving grandma was treated in the ICU with plans to amputate the leg to remove the dead flesh which had been destroyed by the infection but it quickly became clear that it had already done a huge amount of damage, despite her symptoms only appearing two days prior.
Scarlett said: "I felt really angry. You never think something like that is going to happen, never in a million years.
"We never got that time, we never got any warning. We were totally blindsided.
"It all felt so surreal, it felt like a living nightmare.
"Mum was really loving. She loved the grandkids, everybody's distraught.
"It's extremely hard because it's so rare. Mum was complaining of a sore back but that's not always a warning sign, it varies.
"You need to act quickly. If you suspect something is wrong, don't hesitate. It's life-threatening."
The family are now raising money for The Lee Spark Necrotising Fasciitis (NF) Foundation, a charity which is dedicated to supporting individuals, survivors and bereaved families affected by the disease.
You can donate here.
James Moorhouse