Mangatāwhiri mum loses leg after pneumonia and sepsis
A New Zealand mother suffered an above-the-knee amputation after a severe case of influenza A led to pneumonia and sepsis. The case highlights the severity of the current flu outbreak in the region.
Why it matters
The story underscores the potential life-threatening complications of seasonal influenza and the importance of public health awareness.
Mangatāwhiri mum Victoria McHardy had her left leg amputated above the knee after her influenza A infection turned to life-threatening pneumonia and sepsis last month. She's pictured at Middlemore Hospital with her son Ryan McHardy, 8. The husband of a North Waikato mum-of-three faced the heartbreaking choice of “her leg or her life” after the healthy 36-year-old suffered life-threatening complications from the flu.
Victoria McHardy is recovering after her influenza A infection in late June turned to pneumonia and then sepsis, causing blood clots that led to amputation of her left leg above the knee.
She’d had flu before but “nothing like this”, with her fever spiking at 41.8C, McHardy told the Herald from her Middlemore Hospital bed.
“It’s the sickest I’ve ever been … [and] it happened so fast.”
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