A woman grappling with the harrowing aftermath of losing her leg initially attributed her symptoms to what she thought was a simple cold.
In February 2023, Friedel de Beer began feeling unwell and, within days, collapsed after noticing her ankle skin becoming blistered and red.
Her husband, James Hope-Lang, urgently transported her to the hospital. There, the family was confronted with the grave reality that the former swim school teacher’s life was at risk, with potentially only hours to survive.
Doctors diagnosed Friedel with Strep A, which had advanced to necrotising fasciitis, often referred to as a ‘flesh-eating’ disease. As detailed by the Cleveland Clinic, it is ‘a bacterial infection that affects the tissue under your skin called the fascia.’
This rare condition poses a significant threat and requires immediate treatment to prevent fatal outcomes.
To manage her condition, Friedel was placed into an eight-day medically induced coma, allowing doctors to excise as much infected tissue as possible. This procedure resulted in most of her leg being stripped of skin, and as the infection persisted, a below-the-knee amputation was necessary, followed by an above-the-knee amputation.
Despite these drastic surgeries, Friedel feels grateful to be alive and looking forward to making new memories with her 11-year-old son, JJ.
Reflecting on the ordeal, she stated: “You feel you are very lucky that you survived and it does change your priorities in terms of what you feel is important in life, and living life and making the most of every opportunity.”
“I do have bad days or weeks and it’s overwhelming, but you just have to let it out and allow yourself to be sad, allow yourself to be angry, upset and then move on.”
Initially, Friedel mistook her symptoms for a cold, and when painkillers failed to alleviate her condition, she did not give it much thought. While driving to a rental home at the edge of the French Alps, she had to stop frequently due to overwhelming fatigue.
Besides the exhaustion, Friedel experienced calf pain and redness on her ankle skin but dismissed them as insignificant.
After enduring days in a coma, Friedel was finally discharged from the hospital in July 2025.
“Your hospital becomes like a second home,” Friedel shared.
Now 51, she is undergoing rehabilitation to relearn how to walk after the transformative surgery.
She noted: “I’ve got a little bruise now so I have to rest for a day, and there’s some pinching from the prosthetic so I have to go into hospital for them to make adjustments.”
“If you put on a bit of weight then suddenly the socket doesn’t fit well, and it’s an ongoing process.”
Her doctor explained that her brain still operates as if she has two legs, so she must actively consider her movements.
Friedel concluded: “It’s helped me put things into perspective and when I have bad days I think I have to look at myself now – there’s still so many things you can do – I’m able to walk and do things with my son. It might be slightly slow or different.”