A California mother underwent life-changing surgery to have all four of her limbs amputated after she consumed contaminated tilapia, which reportedly contained a deadly bacteria, per the NY Post.
Laura Barajas, 40, had been hospitalized for several months before the surgery. According to her friend, Anna Messina, Laura who is a mother to a 6-year-old son, had purchased fish from a San Jose market and prepared it at home, she told KRON. However, just a few days later, Laura fell ill.
“It’s just been really heavy on all of us. It’s terrible. This could’ve happened to any of us,”
said Messina.
“They put her into a medically induced coma. Her fingers were black, her feet were black her bottom lip was black. She had complete sepsis and her kidneys were failing,”
she added. According to Messina, Barajas contracted Vibrio vulnificus, a potentially deadly bacterium commonly found in raw seafood and seawater. As Onsite previously reported, a man from Texas was recently infected by the deadly flesh-eating bacterium after consuming oysters and unfortunately passed away.
“The ways you can get infected with this bacteria are, one, you can eat something that’s contaminated with it [and] the other way is by having a cut or tattoo exposed to water in which this bug lives,”
UCSF Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Natasha Spottiswoode told KRON.
She mentioned that this infection is particularly concerning for individuals with compromised immune systems. The CDC reports an estimated 150 to 200 cases of Vibrio vulnificus annually, with approximately one in five of those affected succumbing to the disease.
Messina has since started a GoFundMe to aid the Barajas family in covering medical expenses and help with any necessary adjustments Laura will need. As of Sunday morning, over $39,000 has been successfully raised through this campaign.
“Little did she know that this simple act would change her life forever,”
the fundraiser said.
“Laura has been in the hospital for over a month, fighting for her life, she is now a quadruple amputee.”
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
