A 32-year-old father has been left with one leg twice the size of the other after contracting an infection while swimming in a canal. Sam McAlpine Peyre went for a swim in the Stroudwater Navigation Canal with his family in April last year, unaware that a tiny crack in his heel would lead to a life-changing condition.
The plumber woke the next day with a high temperature and groin pain, but initially dismissed it. Within hours, a severe infection had taken hold, forcing him to leave work. By the following day, the infection had spread halfway up his leg, and he was hospitalised. Doctors diagnosed lymphoedema, a chronic condition where the lymphatic system is damaged, causing permanent swelling.
Despite antibiotics, the damage to Sam's lymphatic system was irreversible. His left leg remains double the size of his right, forcing him to wear compression bandages and limit his activity. His wife, Georgia, is now raising £20,000 for private Lymphaticovenous Anastomosis (LVA) surgery to help manage the swelling.
Georgia, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, said: 'I'm hoping we can raise enough awareness so it doesn't happen to anyone else. It's not like he went into the hospital saying 'I went for a cold-water swim and this happened', because he didn't put two and two together.' She urged people to avoid swimming with any cuts, no matter how small.
A spokesperson for Stroud Valleys Canal Company expressed sadness over the incident, and advised anyone enjoying wild swimming to be aware of the risks.
