A mum is “happy to be alive” after she caught an ultra-rare flesh-eating disease just days after giving birth.
Charleigh Chatterton, 27, welcomed daughter Alessia into the world on April 22 and initially reported no complications, but after six days noticed a huge rash across her abdomen.
She said she left the rash for a day because it “looked normal”, but the horror symptom quickly worsened and developed into necrotising fasciitis, a deadly disease that kills around 11-22% of those who catch it.
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Charleigh, from Harwich, Essex, said: “We left the rash for a day as it looked normal at first but it got a lot worse.
(Image: Charleigh Chatterton / SWNS)
“My fiancé Liam called the midwives and they recommended I went in to be checked.
“With multiple tests carried out in Colchester Hospital, I was getting clear results but my health was rapidly declining and I was struggling to remain conscious.
“They sent me down for a CT scan and very quickly after this I was given the news of a possible flesh-eating bacteria, necrotising fasciitis, and I needed surgery immediately.”
(Image: Charleigh Chatterton / SWNS)
Charleigh received an operation on May 1 followed by another surgery the following day.
She remained sedated for another two days, when doctors finally woke her up.
However the new mum still had two large open wounds on her abdomen and large amounts of dead tissue needed to be removed from her body to stop the flesh-eating bacteria from growing further.
(Image: Charleigh Chatterton / SWNS)
Charleigh’s wounds were finally closed and she had medical vacuum pumps fitted around her body.
The mum then had a week of physiotherapy treatment before being sent home to recover.
Charleigh left her worrying she might never get to see her newborn baby again.
“I was so frightened, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to see my daughter,” she said.
(Image: Charleigh Chatterton / SWNS)
“Liam’s biggest fear was losing me or my daughter and knowing that it was potentially going to be me made me feel quite guilty.
“I always told him that would never happen and receiving potentially fatal news made me feel guilty.”
Charleigh, who now says she’s “happy to be alive”, took the opportunity to thank doctors and nurses for her “fantastic” treatment”
She added: “I’ll definitely have scars but I don’t care how many I live with, I’m just happy to be alive.”
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