A 24-year-old woman from Phoenix, Arizona, who survived cancer twice as a child, has been left partially paralysed after eating a home-cooked meal of fermented swordfish prepared by a friend. Trinity Peterson-Mayes fell ill shortly after the dinner and was later diagnosed with botulism, an extremely rare and life-threatening neurological illness.
Peterson-Mayes said the dish 'tasted horrible' but she tried it because it was supposed to be healthy. Days later, she began experiencing difficulty swallowing and speaking, which escalated to the point where she could barely sip water or swallow her own saliva. She was rushed to hospital and placed on a ventilator while doctors struggled to identify her condition.
After consultation with neurologists, she was diagnosed with botulism, a toxin that blocks communication between nerves and muscles. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on average only two dozen adults in the U.S. are diagnosed with botulism each year. Foodborne botulism can result from eating improperly canned, preserved, or fermented homemade foods. Peterson-Mayes said two of the five other people who ate the fermented swordfish also developed the illness.
An antitoxin had to be flown in from another state to prevent the toxin from spreading further. Her mother, Loren Amatruda, said Peterson-Mayes now faces a 'long road to recovery' as her body must rebuild nerve connections before she can regain strength. Recovery can take weeks or months and often requires extensive rehabilitation. Peterson-Mayes said she is now wary of sushi and canned food.
Peterson-Mayes is a two-time cancer survivor, having battled neuroblastoma as a child and osteosarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer, at age 11. Her mother said: 'Trinity is only 24 years old, but she has already overcome more than most people face in a lifetime.' A GoFundMe page set up to support her has raised around $8,500 so far.
