"I Thought a Few Days' Rest Would Be Enough"... Deadly Infection Mistaken for a Cold Nearly Cost Her Life

British Woman Infected with Group A Streptococcus
Bacteria Penetrated Skin, Leading to Necrotizing Fasciitis

The heartbreaking story of a British woman who lost her leg after being infected with Group A Streptococcus, a common cause of sore throats, has come to light.

The British daily The Sun reported on January 28 (local time) the story of Friedel de Beer (51), a British woman who lost one of her legs after being diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis following an infection with Group A Streptococcus. In February 2023, she began experiencing cold-like symptoms and fatigue. While driving to a rental house near Lake Annecy in the French Alps to meet her husband and son during the school holidays, de Beer felt so exhausted that she had to stop at every rest area to recover. She took painkillers, but they had little effect. After arriving in France, she began to experience increasingly severe pain in her calf muscles, and the skin around her ankle turned red.

Friedel de Beer (51), a British woman who lost her leg after contracting necrotizing fasciitis following an infection with Group A Streptococcus. Screenshot from the online fundraising site GoFundMe

At first, she thought it was just a mild illness, but her symptoms worsened rapidly. Within a few days, her leg turned black and blood blisters appeared. Eventually, de Beer collapsed on the bathroom floor and was rushed to the hospital with her husband. The medical staff quickly realized the seriousness of her condition and transferred her to another hospital where she could receive intensive care.

At the new hospital, doctors immediately performed emergency surgery to remove the infected tissue. They said that if she had arrived just a few hours later, she might have lost her life. Surgeons removed infected tissue daily. De Beer then fell into a coma for eight days. Even after regaining consciousness, her fever from inflammation did not subside. Ultimately, as she failed to recover from the infection, the medical team had no choice but to amputate her leg below the knee.

It was revealed that de Beer had been infected with Group A Streptococcus. While this bacterium is a common cause of sore throats, if it infects someone with a weakened immune system and penetrates deep into the body through wounds, it can cause life-threatening toxic shock. In de Beer's case, the bacteria rapidly destroyed her skin and soft tissue, leading to necrotizing fasciitis, commonly known as the "flesh-eating disease."

About a month after surgery, de Beer underwent physical therapy and was able to move herself from her bed to a wheelchair. After two months, she was able to walk with a prosthetic leg, and by July of the same year, she was finally able to return home.

Now, de Beer enjoys swimming, kayaking, and taking walks with her 11-year-old son while wearing her prosthetic leg. She said, "I like to show my prosthetic leg in daily life and never try to hide it," adding that she welcomes questions from people about her prosthesis. She also said, "On tough days, I remind myself there is still so much I can do. I may be a bit slower or different from before, but that's okay."

Inspired by her desire to live actively again, de Beer began fundraising to purchase a sports prosthetic knee joint. More than 4,600 pounds (about 9 million won) has been raised so far on the online fundraising site GoFundMe.