The mother of a man who died after being bitten by a horsefly has shared a heartbreaking statement.
Andrew Kane had been working on a farm with his sister in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, when he was bitten on the elbow by a horsefly in September.
The 31-year-old sought treatment for the bite and was given antibiotics.
However, just two weeks later Andrew would collapse while on a night out with his friends once back home in Northumberland.
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He was rushed to hospital and placed in an induced coma while doctors treated him for septic shock – where he remained for the following five weeks.
Andrew's mother, Rachel Kane, was initially optimistic that her son would recover from his illness after he appeared to make improvements; however, the illness would come back with a 'vengeance' and began shutting down his organs.
The father-of-one tragically passed away.
Rachel has since spoken out about the grief of losing her son, telling Chronicle Live that she never imagined a fly bite would end up killing her 'big strong' son.
"He was a big, strong lad. I could never have imagined that a fly bite could come to this. It's been horrendous," the 52-year-old said of her son's death.
She continued: "He just started to go downhill very quickly. I was with him right to the end.
"I feel really broken. I keep going through things in my mind. I don't feel like it's real. I don't think it's hit me. I just feel really lost."
The mother-of-three went on to describe Andrew, who'd been living with his mother in the Northumberland town of Morpeth when he died, as her 'best friend'.
"We were very close and he was very protective," she said of their mother-and-son relationship. "We would go on nights out and we went on holiday together."
Horseflies are common in the UK throughout the warmer months and are typically found near bodies of water as well as in grassy or woodland areas.
According to Cleveland Clinic, the bites appear as large, red, raised bumps on the skin. The affected area is often painful and itchy.
Horsefly bites aren't usually dangerous to humans, however, they can pass on bacterial infections. Infections and allergic reactions are uncommon but potentially serious side effects.
"He wasn't concerned," Rachel said of Andrew's initial reaction to the bite, adding that his wound site didn't appear to heal.
"You think it's gone red and it's itchy and you think it's getting better. But the hole in his arm never seemed to heal."
Brenna Cooper