4-Year-Old Girl Has Chicken Pox, Almost Ends Up Losing Both Legs
It’s relatively common for children to contract chickenpox. At some point, just about everyone will probably have a bout with the infectious disease that causes irritating itches, blisters, and skin rashes that spread all over the body. However, the good news is that symptoms only last approximately five to 10 days. Once the blisters scab over, they usually go away. But, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for a 4-year-old girl in England. It has been reported that she suffered a rare form of chickenpox that almost led to the amputation of both her legs.
According to the Daily Mail, little Bo August suffered from a rare form of chickenpox that triggered a condition identified as purpura fulminans. Unlike most children who only have itchy blisters, August’s experience proved to be much more painful than most could fathom. When the child began showing signs of distress due to leg pain, her parents decided to take a look.
To their shock and dismay, Bo’s legs were covered in large, black bruises. The alarming condition caused them to rush her to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital. She was later transferred to the Birmingham Children’s Hospital where she was placed in the intensive care unit.
This little girl almost lost her legs when chicken pox triggered an extremely ra… http://t.co/Vh7zlYzrgE pic.twitter.com/46CHfCi5tP
— One Time Everydays (@onetimeeveryday) June 10, 2015
After 12 general anesthetics and three different graft surgeries on her legs, her parents were told she could possibly lose both legs. During an interview with Mirror Online, Bo’s mother, Julia, recalled the daunting two months her daughter was hospitalized due to the rare condition.
“It was literally the worst moment of my life when she was diagnosed. I asked the doctor if it could be life-threatening and he said it was life and limb-threatening. At that point we thought she might face amputation but she has been amazing,” the 32-year-old mother said.
Nationals covering Bo August, four, who nearly lost her leg after contracting chicken pox after we broke the story: http://t.co/cySVjK6XkY
— Cat Phillips (@Cat_Phillips) June 10, 2015
Although the road to recovery has been quite challenging, Bo has persevered and learned to walk again. “I’m just so amazed by how strong she’s been throughout it all,” Julia said. “She’s always been very feisty and known her own mind since she was a baby and is very much a leader so I think that helped her through it.”
[Image via Shutterstock]
