NEED TO KNOW
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Caroline Fonjock had to undergo emergency surgery when what she thought was a simple boil on her leg turned out to be necrotizing fasciitis.
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This rare disease, often referred to as “flesh-eating,” can rapidly destroy soft tissue and is fatal in about 20% of cases.
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Fonjock hopes that by sharing her experience, others will recognize the signs of this deadly condition sooner.
A mother found herself in a dire situation when a boil on her leg was diagnosed as an aggressive form of necrotizing fasciitis. Caroline Fonjock, a 45-year-old social worker, initially spotted a lesion on her inner thigh in April 2021, but she dismissed it as just a boil. However, within a day and a half, the situation escalated; she reported to the BBC that she began vomiting “black tar” as the boil transformed into a hardened mass, spreading down her leg.
In a panic, Fonjock was taken to the hospital, where doctors informed her that emergency surgery was necessary. They cautioned that she might require multiple skin grafts and could potentially face a year in the hospital due to the severity of the necrotizing fasciitis.
From her home in Haverhill, England, she shared that the doctors warned her, “If you don’t do this, you’ll be dead by morning.”
Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare but severe bacterial infection that can prove fatal in about one out of five cases, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. It is labeled a “flesh-eating disease” given its ability to swiftly kill soft tissues surrounding muscles and nerves. Quick medical attention, sometimes involving surgery to excise the infected tissue, is critical for survival.
Fonjock’s husband, Lionel, revealed to the BBC that he had never heard of the disease and now had the tough task of explaining to their daughters that their mother might not return home.
During surgery, doctors had to remove a significant portion of Fonjock’s leg. She recounted that the damage looked “like roadkill” and spent two weeks in a medically induced coma in the ICU following the procedure.
Her recovery was far from smooth. She faced a host of challenges, including infections and organ failure, and she lost her ability to speak due to a collapsed trachea. Communication became a struggle, and she used a dry-erase board to express herself to caregivers and friends.
Describing her feelings during this traumatic time, she said, “I was so desperately in distress. I couldn’t write. It was a really terrifying moment.” Her case has been included in a study published in the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, looking at factors affecting outcomes in similar cases associated with historical infections and diabetes. Yet, Fonjock admits she still isn’t clear on how she contracted the bacteria.
Fast forward five years since her near-fatal ordeal, Fonjock has relearned to walk and talk. Grateful for her survival, she reflects on how fortunate she was to have emergency surgery just in time.
“The scar, while not pretty, is better than losing a limb, or worse,” she remarked. Fonjock hopes that by telling her story, she can assist in raising awareness about this rare yet life-threatening disease. While she’s not one to seek attention for her health struggles, she is eager to help others identify the condition earlier.
