WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES – Kelly Kohen feared she’d lose her foot after a baby blacktip shark chomped through a major nerve in her left foot.
A paddle in the sealed to a terrifying drama for a female angler after she was bitten by a baby shark, only for the wound to be infected by a flesh-eating bacteria – leaving her in fear of losing her foot.
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WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES – Kelly Kohen feared she’d lose her foot after a baby blacktip shark chomped through a major nerve in her left foot.
But, despite her swift actions, in the following days, Kelly recalled how her foot continued to swell – with further tests revealing she had the flesh-eating infection necrotising fasciitis (NF) – adding: “Doctors told me that it was most likely caused by dirty seawater getting into the wound site.
Singleton Kelly told how her nightmare began after she went fishing with a pal in May 2016, afterward wading in the shallows in front of the crowded beach.
She continued: “Someone nearby told my friend and I that they’d heard there were blacktip sharks out there.
After being examined and given three different types of antibiotics, doctors sent Kelly home but, over the next few days, her foot began to mysteriously swell.
As well as running tests, doctors sent her down to the theatre for debridement surgery, where the dead tissue was cut away, in a bid to stem the infection’s progress.
Eventually, medics – including experts from the Centre for Disease Control – were able to conclude that she had indeed been struck down by a flesh-eating bacteria.
Despite suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, for which she continues to take medication, she feels thankful to be alive, and hopes by sharing her story, she will raise awareness of deadly NF.
Kelly Kohen, 33, was wading in the ocean in Louisiana, USA, when she felt a sharp pain in her left foot, quickly prising it free and racing back up the beach – where panic set in when she realised she had been bitten by a baby blacktip shark, common visitors to the area’s coastline.
In agony, especially as the creature had chomped through a major nerve, the self-employed model and motivational speaker, from nearby New Orleans, who had just been fishing with a friend, was rushed to the hospital.
Kelly, pictured here back at the beach after the shark bite (PA Real Life/Collect)
But, despite her swift actions, in the following days, Kelly recalled how her foot continued to swell – with further tests revealing she had the flesh-eating infection necrotising fasciitis (NF) – adding: “Doctors told me that it was most likely caused by dirty seawater getting into the wound site.
“The infection had started spreading up my leg and they warned me that if I didn’t start responding to antibiotics soon, it could mean an amputation.
“I hoped and prayed and, thankfully, I kept my leg. I feel so lucky to be alive.”
GRAPHIC IMAGE Kelly's foot was infected with a flesh-eating bacteria (PA Real Life/Collect)
Singleton Kelly told how her nightmare began after she went fishing with a pal in May 2016, afterward wading in the shallows in front of the crowded beach.
She recalled: “I went into the water – not particularly far – and felt an animal brush past my leg. It felt bigger than it should, but I wasn’t sure what it was.
“Next thing I knew, I felt some teeth clamp down on my left foot. I pulled my leg back and ran up the beach screaming, ‘Oh my god.’”
Kelly is speaking out to raise awareness of NF (PA Real Life/Collect)
She continued: “Someone nearby told my friend and I that they’d heard there were blacktip sharks out there.
“I was really panicking then and trying so hard not to cry, but I was in agony. There was blood everywhere.”
Terrified, Kelly and her friend raced to the hospital and the beach was closed to prevent anybody else from going in the water.
GRAPHIC IMAGE Kelly showing where her foot was red and swollen (PA Real Life/Collect)
After being examined and given three different types of antibiotics, doctors sent Kelly home but, over the next few days, her foot began to mysteriously swell.
“Eventually, I went back to the hospital, where they told me they were going to admit me,” she said. “I started crying then, as I’d never spent a night in the hospital before.
“Initially, they believed the swelling was down to cellulitis, a type of bacterial skin infection. From speaking to other people who’ve survived NF it sounds as if this is a common misdiagnosis to make.”
She continued: “Nobody I’ve spoken to has had NF diagnosed on the first inspection, because it’s so rare, doctors don’t always know what to look out for.
“It’s also incredibly dangerous, so not many people live to tell the tale.”
Kelly was told she did not have cellulitis when her symptoms worsened, although it was still unclear exactly what type of bacteria was causing her agonising discomfort.
GRAPHIC IMAGE Kelly feared she'd lose her foot to the infection (PA Real Life/Collect)
As well as running tests, doctors sent her down to the theatre for debridement surgery, where the dead tissue was cut away, in a bid to stem the infection’s progress.
She recalled: “They sliced away the tissue and also a spot on my ankle, where they found the infection had started to travel up my leg.”
Next, Kelly was fitted with a wound vac to seal off the area and quicken the healing, before having another bout of debridement surgery, followed by a graft, using an umbilical tissue to patch up her ravaged foot.
Kelly told how she has battled post-traumatic stress disorder since the incident (PA Real Life/Collect)
Eventually, medics – including experts from the Centre for Disease Control – were able to conclude that she had indeed been struck down by a flesh-eating bacteria.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I had never heard of NF, and didn’t even think flesh-eating bacteria were real.”
Since being released from the hospital, Kelly has worked hard in the gym to regain her strength.
GRAPHIC IMAGE Kelly's foot being marked for debridement surgery (PA Real Life/Collect)
Despite suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, for which she continues to take medication, she feels thankful to be alive, and hopes by sharing her story, she will raise awareness of deadly NF.
She said: “The first time I went back to the sea after this happened, I completely freaked out. I was overwhelmed with emotion, and couldn’t stop crying.
“But I’ve since been back a second time and felt much calmer. It wasn’t nice to feel creatures around my legs, but after a while, I relaxed more – plus the water was much cleaner, which made me feel safer.”
Kelly (PA Real Life/Collect)
She added: “I want others to be aware of NF, and just how easy it can strike. It was a lot to go through, and a scary time, but now I’m feeling much more positive.
“Coming that close to something so serious put life in perspective for me, which I really needed.”