Doncaster woman warns over deadly condition which nearly killed her

Former beauty therapist Gemma Stables nearly died of a deadly condition – now she is urging people to seek urgent medical attention if they suffer the same.
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Doctors feared the 29-year-old from Tickhill, Doncaster, would not last the night when she was taken into hospital in June 2018, after previously being turned away with paracetamol.

She had been suffering from stomach pains and severe diarrhoea.

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She said: “It went down hill quickly – I had never been in that much pain.

Gemma StablesGemma Stables
Gemma Stables

“I ended up being taken straight to a ward – I went straight in and had surgery that day. I had been X-rayed, but that had found nothing. My parents were getting really worried and persuaded them to give me a scan. At that point they found two holes in my bowel.”

Food had been going straight out of Gemma’s guts, and she had started to suffer from sepsis – a potentially deadly condition arising from infections that can lead to organ failure.

She said: “My message to people is that if you find yourself in similar circumstances, make sure you act fast – it happens quickly.”

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Gemma was in a coma initially and was at first left paralysed as a result of what happened. She also now has a stoma – a bag connected to her guts to collect waste.

Gemma StablesGemma Stables
Gemma Stables

But she is no longer suffering from pain, which she had suffered for some time before she suffered sepsis.

She has made a full recovery but is only just starting to be able to use her legs and is currently fundraising to be able to use a specialist neurological rehabilitation centre for therapy in Leeds.

She is now looking to the future again, and hopes to improve her mobility. She has spent 18 months recovering

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“I just want to get through physio and get better,” she said. “I’ve always loved travelling and there are lots of places I want to go.

Gemma Stables during her time in hospitalGemma Stables during her time in hospital
Gemma Stables during her time in hospital

“I’ve not driven my car for two years, and that’s going to take a while. And I’ve not been able to do yoga, which I really love. I want to get back to that.”

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