A MUM-OF-TWO who thought she had Covid has lost both legs after her body turned black.
Cher Little fell ill with a high temperature, headache and a fever, and was booked in for a coronavirus test.
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But when the 46-year-old developed a rash on her face before her skin began to turn black, her family rushed her to hospital – and she was diagnosed with meningococcal septicaemia.
Medics later forced to amputate her legs said she was the ‘sickest patient’ in the hospital, her family told Wales Online.
Sister Sian Lloyd, 44, said: “By the time she got to A&E, her whole body was black from head to toe and was blistering and bleeding out.
“They put her straight into a coma within 15 minutes of being there. She had multiple organ failure – it was like everything was breaking down.”
Cher, who lives in Flintshire, Wales, was given just a 20 per cent survival rate, and battled for her life for three weeks.
Sian said: “It was horrific, and she had to go through it all on her own because of the Covid rules.
“Each time they tried to bring her out of the coma she wasn’t responding very well, so they had to keep on putting her back to sleep.
“They told us she was the sickest patient in the hospital at one stage.”
After three weeks, Cher was brought out of her coma and taken off the ventilator, where she began breathing for herself.
But she then suffered a further setback after being diagnosed with Covid during her recovery.
“We were told from the very beginning that because of the lack of blood flowing through her extremities, she was likely to have extensive damage to her hands and feet,” said Sian.
“She was covered in scars, but they did manage to save her hands and the scars on her nose and face went.”
Medics said the bones in her feet had started to “die”.
After a month at home for Christmas with partner Mark, daughter Georgia, 22, and son Ryan, 18, Cher returned to hospital, where her legs were amputated below the knees.
“Every day I thank my lucky stars that she’s still with us,” said Sian.
“If the ambulance hadn’t been that quick she wouldn’t have had a chance in hell. But she’s still gone from a normal, active girl full of fun to this.
“It’s just shocking.”
Cher’s family have set up a GoFundMe page to pay for vital alterations to Cher’s home. The appeal has already raised more than £20,000 was raised.
- To donate, visit uk.gofundme.com/f/support-for-cher-and-her-recuperation
