From Cold to Crisis: A Life-Altering Medical Ordeal
What began as a seemingly ordinary cold rapidly escalated into a life-threatening nightmare for Friedel de Beer, a 51-year-old former swim school owner residing in the French Alps. In February 2023, she experienced symptoms she attributed to a common cold, but within days, her condition deteriorated dramatically, leading to a harrowing battle with a rare and aggressive infection that ultimately cost her a leg.
A Fateful Journey and Sudden Collapse
After taking paracetamol for what she believed was a cold, Friedel embarked on a long drive from West Sussex to join her family in France. During the journey, she was so fatigued that she had to stop at every service station, a sign that something was gravely amiss. Upon arrival, she noticed increasing pain in her calf and a reddened area on her ankle, yet she dismissed it as nothing serious.
The situation took a critical turn when she collapsed on her bathroom floor. The skin on her ankle soon darkened and blistered, prompting her husband, James Hope-Lang, to seek urgent medical advice. Photos sent to a doctor friend revealed the need for immediate hospitalisation, as the symptoms pointed to a severe internal infection.
Diagnosis and Desperate Measures
Rushed to hospital on February 12, 2023, Friedel was diagnosed with Strep A, which had mutated into necrotising fasciitis, commonly known as the flesh-eating disease. This rare infection attacks soft tissue and can be fatal if not treated promptly. Doctors warned James that his wife might have only hours to live, leading to an emergency transfer for intensive care.
Upon arrival, Friedel was already in septic shock. Surgeons performed emergency surgery to remove infected tissue, but the infection spread rapidly, moving centimetres per hour. To facilitate further operations, she was placed in a medically induced coma for eight days, during which her leg was almost entirely stripped of skin in efforts to halt the disease.
Amputation and the Road to Recovery
Despite these efforts, signs of infection persisted. On February 24, 2023, Friedel underwent a below-the-knee amputation. When a secondary infection emerged, an above-the-knee amputation followed on March 3. She recalls accepting the procedures with remarkable resilience, even joking about never having liked that leg much anyway.
Her recovery was arduous. After weeks of physiotherapy, she took her first independent steps with a prosthetic in May 2023 and returned home full-time by July. However, challenges continued, including pressure wounds on her stump that required her to remove the prosthetic frequently for healing. In February 2025, she underwent another operation to remove 4cm from her femur, making the prosthetic more manageable, and spent months relearning to walk.
Embracing a New Normal with Positivity
Today, Friedel leads an active life, swimming and kayaking with her prosthetic alongside her 11-year-old son, JJ. She openly displays her prosthetic, encouraging curiosity and questions, especially from children, to normalise differences. She reflects that the experience has reshaped her priorities, emphasising making the most of every opportunity despite occasional bad days.
Navigating recovery as a mother has been tough, but she believes it has shown her son's resilience and the importance of accepting diversity. While she cannot cycle or ski yet, she is fundraising for a prosthetic sports knee to reintegrate into an active lifestyle, viewing her journey as a testament to human strength and adaptation.
