A mum who was forced to have all her limbs amputated just days after being bitten by a mongoose says she feels lucky to still be alive.

Shaninlea ‘Shan’ Visser, 36, from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, contracted sepsis two days after the attack on January 17, 2017, and was put in an induced coma for 11 days – with her family told there was little chance she would survive.

After she woke up following the incident, Shan had to have both feet and hands amputated as well as her nose and lips and the tip of her tongue.

Also diagnosed with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), she then underwent 66 reconstruction operations. Another is scheduled for April to begin her jaw reconstruction.

The former transport broker, and mum-of-one to Kiara, 13, said: ‘The doctor did blood tests but they couldn’t pinpoint exactly what caused the sepsis – but being bitten by the mongoose two days before is most likely to be the cause.

‘I was bitten at my former boss’s home between the thumb and the index finger- there was some blood which I cleaned and didn’t think much about it afterwards until I collapsed two days later.

‘I never expected what was about to happen – I was feeling nauseous, had an upset stomach but then I fainted a few times.’

The quadruple amputee continued: ‘My colleagues found me and my ex boss rushed me to hospital as I was in excruciating pain with my hands and feet and it felt as if they were on fire.

‘I was put in a coma for 11 days while my kidneys, liver and other vital organs were failing.

‘A few days later my family was called in and were told if I don’t respond to the antibiotics there wasn’t much more they could do for me.’

When her body did respond she was brought out of the coma, but medics tried to keep her hands covered so she could not see that they’d gone black.

Shan continued: ‘When I was strong enough they told me what happened.

‘I told them “you’ve got to do what you have to do”- I needed to fight for Kiara, I had to show her, when something happens to you either good or bad, you can’t give up, you have to carry on.

‘I was in shock when I realised the extent of my amputations but I had to be strong for my daughter.’

She also lost part of her top jaw as well as eight top teeth and one bottom tooth in January 2019, because the plastic surgeon needed to support the rebuilding of her nose and lips.

To date she has had 66 operations and her nose was reconstructed on her forehead from a skin graft from her thigh and rib bone. Once there was enough blood supply to ‘swing’ it round and place it where her nose should be.’

But Shan has tried to remain positive about her experience.

She said: ‘If I hadn’t been strong I don’t think I would be here today, as soon as you get a bit of negativity in your mind, you get depressed and everything goes downhill from there.

‘I want people to be aware of what sepsis can cause- life is too short, take the bull by the horns and go for it.’

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