• News
  • Life
  • TV & Film
  • Beauty
  • Style
  • Home
  • News
    • Celebrity
    • Entertainment
    • Politics
    • Royal Family
  • Life
    • Animals
    • Food & Drink
    • Women's Health
    • Mental Health
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Travel
    • Real Life
  • TV & Film
    • True Crime
    • Documentaries
    • Netflix
    • BBC
    • ITV
    • Tyla Recommends
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Make-up
    • Skincare
  • Style
    • Home
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
Submit Your Content
Mum loses her arms and legs after eating undercooked fish for dinner

Home> News

Updated 11:03 18 Sep 2023 GMT+1Published 11:04 18 Sep 2023 GMT+1

Mum loses her arms and legs after eating undercooked fish for dinner

Laura Barajas, from San Jose, California, is now a quadruple amputee after having life-saving surgery.

Gregory Robinson

Gregory Robinson

A mum lost all four of her limbs after eating undercooked fish for dinner.

Laura Barajas, from California, US, contracted a bacterial infection from eating undercooked tilapia in late July.

Barajas, 40, bought the fish at a local market in San Jose before taking it home to cook, according to her friend, Anna Messina.

On Thursday (14 September), she had to undergo life-saving amputation surgery after spending months in hospital battling the infection that almost cost her life.

Advert

“It's just been really heavy on all of us. It's terrible. This could've happened to any of us,” Messina told KRON 4.

“She almost lost her life. She was on a respirator.”

The mum-of-one was then placed in a medically induced coma after contracting sepsis.

"Her fingers were black, her feet were black her bottom lip was black. She had complete sepsis and her kidneys were failing." Messina continued.

Advert

Barajas had four limbs amputated after being hospitalised.
KRON 4

Medical staff said the infection was most probably caused by vibrio vulnificus, which is a bacterial infection that the Centres of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned about recently.

Around 150-200 cases of this type of infection are reported each year, and according to the CDC, around one in five people who are infected end up dying.

And people with a compromised immune system are more at risk of the infection.

Advert

"The ways you can get infected with this bacteria are one-you can eat something that’s contaminated with it the other way is by having a cut or tattoo exposed to water in which this bug lives," Dr. Natasha Spottiswoode, a UCSF Infectious Disease expert, said.

“People should take sensible precautions like if you have a cut avoid getting immersed in water until it's well healed,” Spottiswoode added.

“If you are someone immunocompromised keeping an eye on these things and avoiding those high-risk activities and foods.”

Messina has set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for her friend’s medical expenses and ongoing health care.

Advert

Barajas underwent a life-saving operation.
KRON 4

She said: "This family is in desperate need of our help. While Jose has health benefits through his work, it remains uncertain whether they will cover Laura, his partner of eight years.

"Jose's paid time off (PTO) has been exhausted, and the Family Disability program provides only 60 percent of his normal income.

"The mounting hospital bills are overwhelming, and Laura's physical condition will necessitate significant changes to their lives as they adapt to her new circumstance."

Advert

At the time of writing, $52,000 (£40,000) has been raised out of a target of $150,000 (£121,000) so far.

Featured Image Credit: KRON 4

Topics: Health, Life, Real Life, US News, Food and Drink

Gregory Robinson
Gregory Robinson

Gregory is a journalist working for Tyla. After graduating with a master's degree in journalism, he has worked for both print and online publications and is particularly interested in TV, (pop) music and lifestyle. He loves Madonna, teen dramas from the '90s and prefers tea over coffee.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

7 hours ago
8 hours ago
9 hours ago
  • 7 hours ago

    Ivanka Trump follows in dad Donald's footsteps with surprising career move after previously making feelings clear about his presidency

    The New York businesswoman previously insisted she had no intention of joining her father in the White House

    News
  • 8 hours ago

    Pippa Middleton broke major rule at Wimbledon and was refused entry into Royal Box with Kate

    It comes as the London-based tennis tournament kicked off earlier this week

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    9-year-old girl dies after being left in extremely hot car for six hours while mum was at work

    The 36-year-old Texas mother has since been detained

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Study claims certain blood types have increased risk of common cancer that is rapidly increasing among young people

    The 2022 study investigated the possible link between the different blood types and colorectal cancer

    News
  • Dad speaks out after daughter dies on first date eating meal she had tried before and been fine
  • Woman dies on first date after eating meal she’d had before without realising restaurant made changes to dish
  • Reason why you feel sick after eating and when to seek help
  • Donald Trump’s granddaughter Kai sparks divide after video of her working at fast food chain goes viral