Woman forced to have leg amputated after becoming infected by rare ‘flesh eating’ bug

**WARNING: THIS ARTICLE AND VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT**

A woman was forced to have her leg amputated after contracting a rare ‘flesh eating’ bug.

As Emma Doherty was being treated for sepsis in February 2021, she unfortunately caught the life threatening condition known as 'necrotising fasciitis'.

The 37-year-old was diagnosed with the condition known as the 'flesh-eating disease', which can be caused by an infected wound.

The previously-fit cross country runner, was given a less-than one percent chance of survival as doctors told her mum to consider turning off her life support machine.

Although Emma was thankfully able to pull through, her leg was amputated, which means she now has to use a wheelchair.

“It affected 85 percent of my body. The infection was moving through my body [so fast] the only way to stop it was to cut the [affected tissue] away,” she said.

“I feel very let down. I can’t propel myself in the chair because of my injuries and it’s so heavy my mum, who has recently had a knee replacement, can’t even lift it into the car.

“I don’t want to remain in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I used to go cross country running, I love dancing and had a really good social life.”

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She is also worried that the slightest cut or injury to the area could leave her internal organs exposed.

Emma, from South East London, is now using TikTok to raise awareness of the rare condition.

She added: “I plan on documenting every step of the way and keep everyone informed. Not enough is known about NF a lot of people are scared about it.

"It can happen to absolutely anybody. Because I had sepsis, my immune system was down and I had an infection in the blood so it made me susceptible.”

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She moved from London for a ‘fresh start’ in Blackpool, Lancs, and now lives with her mum at Swans Rest Holiday Lodges and Cottages in nearby Poulton-le-fylde, Lancs.

Her mum Marie Keane said: “I was shown pictures of her intestines and organs.

"On the third day it was like a sickly green film and I asked what it was and they said it was the infection creeping up, and if it hit her major organs there's nothing they could do.

"They put me under so much pressure to turn off the life support, but something in me kept telling me she’s still there, and there was no way I was letting her go.”

Emma also started a GoFundme to raise money to buy items, such as a lightweight wheelchair, which you can donate to here.