Woman left as quadruple amputee after ‘infection’ turned into deadly syndrome
What started as a 'little crater' on her foot turned into a life-threatening illness
Warning: This article contains graphic images which some readers may find distressing.
A Canadian woman was left with no limbs after 'an infection' caused her hands and feet to turn black.
Jane Haley, a sports lover, suffered from strep throat in June 2025 and took a course of antibiotics which she thought did the trick.
Unfortunately, she started to feel pain in her jaw, cheek and left side of her neck in August this year, just two months after she came off the medication.
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Assuming it was an infection, she called a medical advice health line who told her to call emergency services, before being rushed to hospital in an ambulance.
When the 41-year-old arrived at hospital, her heart rate and blood pressure dramatically dropped and she was rushed into ICU where she was placed into a medically induced coma.
Doctors found that she had Group A Streptococcus, which progressed into septic toxic shock syndrome, which caused extensive tissue damage and heightened the risk of multi-organ failure.
Jane was told that she her limbs would have to be amputated so she could survive, as terrifying photos show the extent of her condition.
Her hands and feet turned black from the tissue damage caused by the condition.
According to the NHS, Group A Streptococcus (GAS or Strep A), are 'bacteria commonly found on the skin or in the throat', with the infection starting as 'strep throat' or soft tissue infections known as impetigo and cellulitis.
In rarer conditions, strep A can cause serious conditions such as streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, a type of septic shock which can lead to low blood pressure or multi-organ failure.
Jane, who is now undergoing rehab, explained that after a seven to 10-day course of antibiotics, she thought she was OK, but as the pain worsened she said the last thing she remembered before the hospital was leaving in the ambulance.
"It was either save my life or save my limbs and the doctors chose to save my life. I'm happy that they made this decision as I'm still here to talk about it today," the 41-year-old from Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, admitted.
While her hands changed colour, Jane said that her feet were fine in the early stages, explaining: "It took only two weeks for my hands to see how they looked in the photos, it happened rapidly."
After being airlifted to a different hospital for a double hand amputation at the end of September, she had to have her legs amputated below the knee by mid-October, with a third surgery a week later restoring the nerve connections to her muscles.
She added: "I was desperate to go [for the amputation] as by the time this came around I was in so much pain. It was disgusting that the bottom of my foot was black and it looked almost like an insole."
Describing the pain at the time as 'constant', Jane said that the dead skin started as a 'little crater' on her foot which grew until it could 'flap' at her when flexing her foot.
Now in a rehabilitation facility, Jane is undergoing physical and mental health therapy, hoping that she will be able to drive, run, and swim again with the help of prosthetics, though her mountain climbing days may be behind her.
She aims to raise awareness for the infection, stating that it 'could have happened to anyone' as she looks forward to a brighter future, saying: "I'm happy to be living each day and approaching things that people take for granted every day."
"A lot of people don't know about Strep and what it can do and how scary septic shock is," she pointed out, adding: "This could have happened to anyone and it's a silent killer."
Jane says it's a 'miracle' she was on the way to the hospital for different reason before discovering the infection.
Her family have set up a GoFundMe to help raise funds for her rehab, which you can find here.
Topics: Health, World News
Joshua Nair