Maine mother, Heather Nichols, contracts flesh-eating bacteria during child birth, dies a week later
A new mother in Maine has died just a week after giving birth to her first daughter after she contracted a vicious flesh-eating bacteria from her episiotomy.
Heather Nichols, age 29, passed away at Eastern Maine Medical Center on August 8 after giving birth to baby Ruby Ann with her husband Matt by her side on August 1.
The Daily Mail details the tragic story of the Nichols family, how Matt is left to bring up their newborn daughter alone, while he battles to raise awareness of the deadly bacteria that snatched his beloved wife away so suddenly.
Heather received an episiotomy during her 20-hour labor. After returning home, the pain she expected became more severe overnight.
Doctors determined Heather had contracted necrotizing faciitis, sometimes called flesh-eating bacteria for the way it destroys skin, muscle and other body tissue. While it sometimes infects people with weakened immune systems, it also can result from cuts and scrapes, including surgical wounds.
The devastating condition results from the same group of bacteria that cause more benign illnesses such as strep throat, but it is much more serious. Infections usually spread rapidly, and one in four infected people will die.
The Bangor News Daily reports how Heather went back to the hospital only to submit to the horrible illness.
“They said [Heather] fought it a lot stronger than most people do,” Matt told the Bangor Daily News. “It was the same thing with the pregnancy, there were doctors there … who said that she was one of the toughest people they’ve ever seen at giving birth.”
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