Phoenix Woman Left Paralyzed From Rare, Life-threatening Disease After Eating Friend’s Home-cooked Fish: ‘it Tasted Horrible’

A Phoenix woman, who survived cancer doubly arsenic a child, was near partially paralyzed by a rare, life-threatening disease aft eating a home-cooked fish repast prepared by her friend.

Trinity Peterson-Mayes, 24, fell sick aft having meal pinch her friends past month, wherever she tried a crockery of fermented swordfish.

“It tasted horrible, I’m going to beryllium truthful honest,” she told 12News. “It's expected to beryllium patient and I figured I mightiness arsenic good try, if it's bad and I'll conscionable get a bad tummy ache.”

Just days later, Peterson-Mayes began having problem swallowing and speaking, which developed to nan constituent wherever she could hardly return a sip of h2o aliases swallow her ain saliva.

She was rushed to nan infirmary and placed connected a ventilator, though doctors initially did not cognize what was incorrect pinch her.

After consulting pinch neurologists and specialists, Peterson-Mayes was diagnosed pinch botulism, an highly uncommon and life-threatening neurological unwellness caused by a toxin that blocks connection betwixt nerves and muscles.

Her mother, Loren Amatruda, said that nary of nan neurologists astatine nan infirmary had ever seen a real-life lawsuit of botulism earlier and had only publication astir it.

On average, only 2 twelve adults successful nan U.S. are diagnosed pinch botulism per year.

According to nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, location are 5 main types of botulism and each are aesculapian emergencies.

Foodborne botulism tin hap by eating homemade foods that person been improperly canned, preserved, aliases fermented. Peterson-Mayes said that 2 of nan different 5 group who ate nan fermented swordfish besides developed botulism.

Following her diagnosis, a life-saving antitoxin had to beryllium rushed successful from different authorities to extremity nan toxin from spreading done Peterson-Mayes’ assemblage and paralyzing her further. She is now connected nan “long roadworthy to recovery,” her mother has said, pinch her assemblage having to rebuild nervus connections earlier she tin regain strength.

Recovery from botulism tin return weeks aliases months and sometimes moreover longer, and often requires extended rehabilitation and therapy. She besides says she will beryllium considering changes to her diet.

“I americium frightened of sushi now too. Canned food, sushi, I don't cognize astir that anymore,” she told 12News.

In addition, Peterson-Mayes is simply a two-time crab survivor, having been diagnosed pinch neuroblastoma, a uncommon puerility cancer. She fought done curen and survived but astatine nan property of 11 was diagnosed pinch osteosarcoma, an fierce bony cancer. Once again, she hit crab for a 2nd time.

“Trinity is only 24 years old, but she has already flooded much than astir group look successful a lifetime,” her mother said.

“After everything she had been done arsenic a child, we believed nan hardest battles were down her.”

The GoFundMe page to support Peterson-Mayes has raised astir $8,500 truthful far.