A woman has had all four limbs amputated after contracting a devastating infection that medics believe may have come from her dog licking her leg.
Manjit Sangha, 56, has finally arrived home this week following 32 weeks in hospital. She endured a gruelling battle with sepsis, survived six cardiac arrests, and developed pneumonia, which resulted in the amputation of her limbs.
Medical experts suspect that the sepsis may have stemmed from her dog licking a small wound such as a cut or graze. Sepsis can prove deadly as the body's immune response starts attacking its own tissues and organs rather than fighting disease and infection.
Her husband, Kam Sangha, 60, told the BBC of his disbelief: "You're thinking 'how can this happen in less than 24 hours?'" He continued, "One minute on a Saturday she's playing with the dog, Sunday she's gone to work, Monday night she's in a coma,".
Kam, a distribution operative at Screwfix who has been out of work for seven months to remain by his wife's side, said he was incredibly proud of her strength.
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"Every day was like 'she's going to go today' but she proved us wrong every single day with what she's been through. She's so strong," he said.
Manjit began feeling unwell after returning from work on Sunday, 14 July last year. By the following morning, she was unconscious, struggling to breathe, and displaying symptoms including purple lips and freezing hands and feet.
During her time in the intensive care unit at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, the former pharmacy worker's heart stopped six times. Surgeons were forced to amputate both her hands and legs below the knee owing to sepsis spreading rapidly through her body.
Beyond the loss of her limbs, Manjit also had her spleen removed, fought pneumonia, and developed gallstones, which may require additional surgery and a prolonged hospital stay.
Alongside her pharmacy role, Manjit also worked weekend shifts with her husband at Screwfix, often completing a full seven-day working week.
Looking back on her harrowing experience, Manjit revealed that she "didn't know what was happening."
"The first month I do not remember anything" she said.
Now safely back home, the couple are endeavouring to raise funds for state-of-the-art prosthetics, including expensive robotic hands.
Through GoFundMe and workplace fundraising initiatives at Screwfix, where both were employed, they've already raised over $27,000.
