Mother, 28, nearly died from ‘flesh-eating’ infection she contracted during childbirth that ‘ate away’ her stomach
An Essex woman nearly died after contracting a horrific flesh-eating disease that ate her own stomach days after giving birth.
Charleigh Boyne, a dance teacher from Manningtree, was rushed to hospital less than a week after her daughter was born in April last year, suffering from a nasty rash and chills that made her bones feel like they were ‘crumbling’.
A CT scan revealed she had a rare, life-threatening infectious disease: necrotizing fasciitis (NF), which was affecting her skin and muscles.
After a six-hour operation, Mrs Boyne, 28, was placed in an induced coma for two days.
Charleigh Boyne, a dance teacher from Manningtree, Essex, pictured with husband Liam, 28, had a normal delivery of her first child in April last year. But six days after bringing home her newborn daughter Alessia, the 28-year-old developed a painful rash on her stomach and struggled to stay awake
Mrs Boyne was rushed to hospital where a CT scan revealed she had necrotising fasciitis (NF) and it was ‘eating away at her abdomen’
Mrs Boyne is one of 500 people a year in the UK who develop NF.
According to the NHS, this ‘flesh-eating disease’ can develop if a wound becomes infected.
The infection can cause severe pain or numbness near a cut or wound, swelling of the skin, and flu-like symptoms.
According to the NHS, some patients later start vomiting, develop black spots on their skin and may become confused.
Mrs Boyne was immediately taken to hospital for treatment. Doctors warned Mrs Boyne that she would die if they did not remove the dead flesh.
“I went into labour with my daughter and it was quite normal,” Mrs Boyne said.
‘I went home and about six days later I got sick. I had a swollen rash on my stomach. It looked like a burn.
‘The rash was painful and I kept getting severe chills. It felt like my bones were going to crumble at any moment.’
‘I just wanted to sleep. My husband was terrified.
‘I went back to the hospital and a CT scan showed that I had NF and it was affecting my abdomen.
‘The doctors came quickly and said I needed urgent surgery or I would die.
“It was the strangest moment of my life. It was like a movie where someone gets big news and everything goes quiet. It was an out of body experience.
‘They cut me open and took out everything that was dead.
“When I woke up, I was told it was two days later and I would be fine.”
According to the NHS, this ‘flesh-eating disease’ is a rare, life-threatening infection that can occur if a wound becomes infected
Mrs Boyne was warned by doctors that if they did not operate to remove the dead flesh, she would die
Ms Boyne suffers from PTSD and has been left with a five-inch scar, which she admits makes it difficult for her to look at herself in the mirror.
She said, “I feel better physically, but I’m still in the process of healing. I have a callus scar and I have PTSD.
‘The scar really affects my self-confidence. I have trouble looking in the mirror.
‘I don’t wear clothes that show my belly, but in some outfits you can see it because there’s a dent in it.’
She says her daughter is doing well and the illness will not prevent her from having another child.
She said: ‘Alessia is perfect. She enjoys life. She is a happy little bean. We would like to have more children, but I will be very careful.’
Mrs Boyne has a GoFundMe to raise money for the Lee Spark NF Foundation and Colchester Hospital in Essex, who she thanks for saving her life.
She added: ‘I’m running a half marathon for Lee Spark, who helped me come to terms with what happened, and for Colchester Hospital, which saved my life.
‘It is important to create awareness. Most people have no idea what NF is.
‘As rare as it is, it is still a possibility and it cannot be diagnosed if people don’t know what it is.
“If it comes, it comes fast. You can get it from a cold or an open wound.”