WHEN Molly Farrelly looks at the 15-inch circular scar on her right arm, she feels lucky to be alive.
Last year, the 25-year-old, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, nearly died after an eczema wound became infected and caused a deadly flesh-eating bug to ravish a hole in her arm.
Molly contracted necrotising fasciitis, a rare condition that causes bacteria to release toxins, causing skin to die.
It can quickly become life-threatening, leading to sepsis and organ failure.
Thankfully, after six operations, Molly survived, but a year on, she has no feeling in her arm.
Now, Molly, who is scarred for life, wants to urge others to listen to their body.
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Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, the property manager says: “What happened to me was so traumatic, but the outcome could have been so much worse.
“I’m now left with a nasty scar that looks like I’ve been bitten by a shark.
“I want others to know that necrotising fasciitis can happen to anyone.”
Molly has suffered from eczema on her hands since she was a baby.
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In September last year, she was having a particularly bad flare up with sores covering both of her hands.
Molly explains: “I’d run out of the cream that I usually used to soothe my eczema, so it became red raw, and sores developed.”
Two days later, Molly suddenly started to feel unwell.
She had vomiting and diarrhoea and felt light-headed.
The following morning, Molly suffered a throbbing pain in her right arm, which felt hot to touch.
She remembers: “I felt really cold, so I ran a bath to try and warm myself up.
“But nothing was helping.”
By the third day, Molly’s hands were still red and sore.
She couldn’t get out of bed, and she had a red patch on her arm.
While her family suggested she may have a cold, Molly knew something wasn't right.
Her mum, Christine, 52, called 111, who advised Molly to see a doctor immediately.
That day, she visited her GP, who diagnosed her with cellulitis, a bacterial skin infection, and referred her to Royal Stoke University Hospital for blood tests.
Molly says: “While I sat in the waiting area in the hospital, my arm felt like it was going to explode and I couldn’t lift it.
“I asked the receptionist to cut the sleeve of my top off, and when she did, we saw that my arm was turning black.”
Molly was rushed to a ward and put on an IV drip, before an X-ray was taken, where at first, the results were inconclusive.
By this point, Molly was suffering delirium and septic shock – her lungs and liver were failing, and her blood pressure was low.
She says: “Doctors had no idea what was wrong with me and told my mum that they didn’t think I was going to make it.
“It was terrifying.”
Molly underwent an operation, where surgeons collected samples from the infection to see what was causing the reaction.
Two days later, Molly was taken for another operation to clean the wound and remove the dying skin.
Afterwards, they placed her in an induced coma in intensive care, to give her the best chance of survival.
Eventually, Molly was diagnosed with necrotising fasciitis that had entered an infected eczema wound in her hand.
Molly says: “After five days in the coma, I woke up.
“My arm was bandaged from my shoulder to my wrist.
“Surgeons had taken out half of the muscle in my arm.
“They told me they'd have to amputate my arm if they couldn’t get rid of all the infection.
“I was devastated."
In the days that followed, Molly was tube fed and four more operations were performed to try and clear the infection.
Foam was inserted in her arm to keep its structure.
Molly says: “Before I could have my final surgery, I needed to relearn how to walk.
“A physiotherapist helped me get back on my feet.
“They were amazing.”
After spending over two weeks in intensive care, Molly was well enough to be moved onto a ward.
She then had a double skin graft on her arm, using pig skin and skin from her thigh.
A week later, Molly was discharged.
She says: “Doctors came up to me and said they couldn’t believe I was alive.”
Back at home, Molly couldn’t do anything for herself, and her mum had to help her wash.
She continued to attend hospital twice a week for blood tests, and her bandages were changed regularly.
She also had physiotherapy on her arm and took antibiotics to prevent re-infection.
Molly says: “In December, my bandages were taken off for good.
“The doctor told me I may never have feeling in my arm again.”
Molly was also left with nasty scars on her arm and leg.
She says: “One time, I was out shopping when a little boy asked his mum what was wrong with my arm.
“I felt so low and didn’t leave the house.
“I put on a lot of weight and started losing my hair.”
By February this year, Molly was able to start driving again and in April, she returned to work.
Now, a year on, she still has no feeling in her arm, but is just thankful to be alive.
Molly explains: “Before, I was a thriving 24-year-old and didn’t even know what sepsis or necrotising fasciitis were.
"I’m now so conscious about cleaning my eczema wounds and any cuts.”
She continues: “Please be vigilant and trust your gut.
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