A dad who thought he had 'man flu' then devastatingly lost all of his limbs and part of his face to Strep A. Alex Lewis, 42, says he is 'lucky to be here' after fighting the illness and is begging parents to be vigilant of symptoms in children after recent deaths.
His plea comes after the UK's death toll from the infection rose to nine children. The 42-year-old's experience with Strep A came back in 2013.
The father says at the time he thought he had 'man flu' and complained non-stop for 10 days. However, things took a dark turn when he was health began to dramatically deteriorate, reports the Mirror.
Alex woke up one morning in November in immense pain and notice his skin had begun turning purple. He was then rushed to hospital and within hours his organs were only running by mechanical assistance.
The dad was then given the devastating diagnosis of Strep A and told he had a 3% chance of survival by doctors. His infection had led to toxic shock syndrome and septicaemia.
Therefore, over the coming months, Alex underwent drastic surgeries to keep him alive including losing all his limbs. He had to also undergo facial reconstruction after the infection ravaged his face and mouth.
Against all odds, the father survived and now says the resurgence of Strep A in the news has brought back the whole traumatic experience to him. Alex said: "I saw an interview with the father of a little girl in Alder Hey hospital and that was pretty raw.
I can only imagine what he's going through and I know my family went through similar. It's tough.
"It's great that the media is raising awareness. I think it's important parents don't panic as it is cold and flu season, but with low baseline immunity after two years of not mixing, things are spreading in schools and it's quite a worrying time.
"Don't be afraid to ask for help and advice. We know the NHS is under a lot of pressure, but contact your GP, call 111 or go to A&E if necessary and get your child on antibiotics. I
"t's better to be safe than sorry. I'm very lucky to be here.
"Don't be afraid to push to have your child seen."
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