Boy nearly loses leg after catching flesh-eating disease | UK | News

A schoolboy nearly lost his leg after contracting flesh-eating disease while swimming in a lake with his friends to cool off. heat wave. Jacob Butler, 14, was left with a horrific injury after diving into the Blue Lagoon at Colliers Moss Park, near Burtonwood, Cheshire.

As he jumped into the water, his right leg got caught on a piece of wire and his leg was amputated to the bone just below the knee. The nasty wound became infected with a rare disease called. necrotizing fasciitiscan be life threatening. Jacob was left missing a 15cm piece of muscle from his leg, but the boy was told he was lucky it did not need to be amputated.

33-year-old mother Rebecca Butler shared her son’s story to raise awareness about the dangers of open water. She said: “As a mother, this ordeal has been devastating for me.

“I really thought he was going to die and it keeps me up at night being told he might have died if I hadn’t brought him to hospital.

“At one point there were about 30 doctors and surgeons in the room and they were all discussing his leg. All the worst-case scenarios were flying through my head.”

He said Jacob’s leg was deformed and would remain so for the rest of his life due to the “tragic” accident. Rebecca added: “We never want anyone to have to go through what Jacob went through.”

Jacob was playing with friends on April 30 when he called his 37-year-old father, Ashley Butler, to tell him he had an “accident” and that the situation was “really bad.”

Paramedics attended the lake and the teenager was airlifted to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

Luckily for Jacob, a nearby fisherman came to his aid before emergency services arrived and wrapped his leg with a T-shirt, reducing blood flow.

Rebecca said her actions ultimately saved her son’s life and his leg from being amputated.

The next morning, Jacob underwent emergency surgery to remove signs of infection and reattach his leg. He was discharged a day or two later.

But on May 13, Rebecca noticed her leg smelled like “rotting meat” and took her back to A&E. He added: “It smelled like death, it was horrible.

“I was worried and took him to hospital and the doctors told me his leg had a flesh-eating disease.

“It was scary, they told me it could have been life-threatening if I hadn’t gotten there in time. But the doctors did a great job taking care of him.”

Jacob had a five-hour surgery to remove the infection. Rebecca said the bug ate about six inches of flesh.

Rebecca said doctors told her that Aeromonas Hydrophila, a flesh-eating bug, had caused necrotizing fasciitis in her leg.

Necrotizing fasciitis, also known as “flesh-eating disease”, is a rare and life-threatening infection that occurs in the deeper layers of your skin, according to the NHS.

Aeromonas Hydrophila is a bacterium found in brackish water such as lakes and rivers and usually enters the body through cuts in the skin.

Jacob has since had calf muscle transfer surgery to move the muscle of his upper calf toward the front of his leg to help with his walking ability. A skin graft was also placed on his right thigh.

Rebecca said: “Luckily we still have our son but unfortunately there are those who will never see their children again. Water safety is real and not a joke.”

Jacob said: “Please do not jump into open water as this could be very dangerous. I could lose my leg or worse.”