Melissa Shaw-Hill

In 2019 I was bitten on my chest by a mosquito. Within an hour, that bite had taken over most of my left breast. By hour 2, I had a climbing fever and felt nauseous. 6 hours later, my husband was told I had flesh eating  disease and was in septic shock. (Sepsis and Necrotizing Fasciitis) I had emergency surgery and was fighting to live before midnight.

I spent 7 days in ICU, intubated with a large open wound on my chest. Doctors and nurses were surprised I was alive, But I had 2 young kids and a husband to fight for. This was followed by 3 more surgeries, physiotherapy, the use of a cane and multiple pain medications. I had never heard of flesh eating disease or septic shock. I still have daily pain and breathing problems but I am here and I don’t plan on going anywhere for a long time. Things can go bad so easily if you don’t know the symptoms to look for.