Cambridge-area mum survives flesh-eating infection after rapid NHS care and sparks research
A Cambridge-area social worker contracted necrotising fasciitis (flesh-eating infection), deteriorating rapidly and requiring emergency surgery that removed a large part of her leg. She spent two weeks in intensive care in a coma, with multiple organs failing, but doctors saved her life and she gradually recovered. Five years on, her case is informing a 10-year Cambridge study at Addenbrooke's Hospital to improve how the condition is recognized and treated, with findings that age and underlying conditions raise death risk and that prompt, accurate diagnosis is crucial. She remains grateful for the NHS and the care she received.
