A 19-year-old university student initially thought she had freshers’ flu when she was actually suffering from a life-threatening condition.
Ketia Moponda, who had just started her marketing and advertising degree, developed a mild cough in September of the previous year, only eight days into her course.
The young student contacted both her best friend and cousin, expressing to the latter that she felt as if she was ‘going to die’.
Concern arose when Moponda couldn’t be reached the following morning. Security personnel at Leicester’s De Montfort University, along with another student, entered her room to check on her.
They found Moponda unconscious and she was quickly transported to Leicester’s Royal Infirmary by ambulance.
“I have no memory of any of this but I’m lucky to be alive,” Moponda remarked, reflecting on the ordeal nearly a year after it occurred.
Originally from Wolverhampton, UK, Moponda was diagnosed with meningococcal septicaemia, a critical form of blood poisoning.
This condition progressed to bacterial meningitis and eventually led to sepsis.
“When I got to hospital my blood oxygen level was at one percent. The blood wasn’t circulating around my body and my skin was colorless. My feet were green and swollen,” Moponda explained.
“My organs were failing, and doctors told my family that if I woke at all I’d likely be brain dead.”
This was during the time she remained in a coma.
Moponda awoke two days later but was unable to see or speak for an entire week.
Due to the lack of blood flow, the skin on her fingers and feet became shriveled, and when she developed a flesh-eating infection on her backside, doctors had to use skin grafts from her thighs to treat it.
By January of this year, Moponda had undergone amputations of her fingers, thumbs, and both legs below the knees.
“It was terrible. I just kept crying all the time. I felt so hurt, it was killing my spirit,” she shared.
“I woke from the operation and just cried. I felt like my whole life had just begun and now I had to start all over again differently.”
In May, she received prosthetic lower legs and is still awaiting prosthetic fingers.
Amazingly, Moponda has already managed to walk unaided and hopes to return to running at the gym eventually.
“They don’t know how I got the illness – it’s heartbreaking,” Moponda continued.
“Initially, I thought I’d give up on modeling but I won’t. You don’t have to hide who you are. This doesn’t make me less of a person.”
“I am unapologetically me and I want to help others to feel confident about who they are and how they look.”
“I’m very headstrong and I plan to break all the barriers of disability.”