The flesh-eating bacteria almost consumed the life of the 4-year-old girl, Reign Passey.
Her mother described the terrifying ordeal she went through when her daughter's diagnosis of chickenpox developed into a lethal flesh-eating infection that put her daughter's life in danger.
The mother, Leanne Passey, 31, is now speaking out and sharing her experience of how she navigated the situation.
Passey wants other parents, caretakers, and guardians to know how serious this can get.
From chickenpox to flesh-eating bacteria
After becoming infected with Strep A, Reign Passey had to stay in the hospital for three weeks and go through a potentially life-saving procedure to have the necrotizing fasciitis-causing bacteria removed.
According to New York Post, Passey stated that her daughter was diagnosed with chickenpox on July 4 and, at first, seemed to be doing okay.
However, a few days later, she had a high temperature and developed common indicators of strep A. Passey also mentioned that Reign's condition worsened significantly.
The mother observed a red ring surrounding one of the lesions, prompting her to take her daughter to the doctor immediately.
Her daughter's condition rapidly deteriorated as soon as they got to the hospital.
Reign was already lying on the ground and appeared lifeless when her mother picked her up and took her to the emergency room, where she yelled for assistance and said that her daughter was already dying.
It turns out that Passey's mother's instincts were right. They hurried her daughter into surgery, and the doctors said they had to make a major cut to remove necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating bacteria.
As per National World, Reign's near-death encounter comes amid a surge of kids who have died due to Strep A infection.
According to the U.K. Health Security Agency, at least 37 children have died in the U.K. since the end of September after contracting the bacterium.
Strep A often produces a moderate sickness, but in a tiny percentage of instances, it can be fatal.
The doctors stated the wound had to be kept open because of the illness's ability to spread rapidly and cause death.
After being transported to intensive care, Reign was drugged and put into an induced coma to alleviate the discomfort while having breathing support simultaneously.
Flesh-eating bacteria
The flesh-eating bacteria is known as the Necrotizing Fasciitis bacteria.
Necrotizing fasciitis is a highly uncommon bacterial illness that moves rapidly throughout the body. It results in the death of the tissue at the infection site and the surrounding area.
According to the Los Angeles Times, in some cases, these bacterial infections can result in potentially fatal conditions.
The bacteria are capable of causing a condition known as toxic shock syndrome, which can lead to organ failure and sepsis, a severe and often fatal reaction of the body to an infection.
Cellulitis, a bacterial infection of the skin that can cause painful swelling and redness, is an additional problem that this condition can bring on.
According to her mother, Reign is doing well and fully recovered.
Despite the enormous scar left on her side due to the incident, the woman's daughter enjoys telling people that she won a fight against a crocodile to explain how she obtained the scar.