A 23-year-old medical student who went to hospital with flu-like symptoms has lost all four limbs after developing a rare and aggressive infection. Lily McGarry was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff by her flatmates on 14 January, but her condition deteriorated rapidly within hours.
While waiting in A&E, she developed a rash that alerted medical staff to septic shock. She was later diagnosed with meningococcal septicaemia, a severe blood poisoning caused by the same bacteria responsible for bacterial meningitis. Ms McGarry suffered two cardiac arrests, spent two weeks in a coma, and sustained damage to her brain, spleen, and liver. Over five weeks, she underwent surgeries to shorten all four limbs and remains in hospital.
Her mother, Jo Gorrod, 54, was in Melbourne, Australia, when she received a call from the hospital asking for consent to intubate her daughter. 'Since that point we've lost her probably about five times,' she said. The family has raised over £378,000 through GoFundMe for prosthetics and treatment.
Before her illness, Ms McGarry was an avid swimmer, runner, and surfer. She is determined to return to these sports and complete her medical degree. Her family is urging people to get the meningitis vaccine, including for the B strain, and to be aware of sepsis warning signs such as a rash that does not fade, flu-like symptoms, and breathing difficulties.
