A 24-year-old woman who has already overcome cancer twice is now recovering from botulism, a rare and potentially fatal illness.
Trinity Peterson-Mayes has faced major health challenges since infancy. Her first came when she was only two months old, when doctors diagnosed her with neuroblastoma, an uncommon cancer most often seen in very young children.
She survived, but years later her family was hit with another devastating diagnosis. At 11, Trinity learned she had osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that frequently affects children and teenagers.
After beating that cancer as well, her loved ones hoped the worst was finally behind her. However, in February, Trinity became seriously ill with botulism and is now working through what can be a lengthy recovery process.
Her illness began after she sampled a friend’s homemade fermented swordfish.
Five other friends also tried the fish, and Trinity said two of them later developed botulism too.
In an interview with KPNX, Trinity said that the fish ‘tasted horrible’. She added: “It’s supposed to be healthy and I figured I might as well try, if it’s bad and I’ll just get a bad stomach ache.”
Instead of improving, her symptoms intensified quickly over the next few days. “Slowly, over the course of 24 hours, I went from not being able to chug water to not being able to drink any water at all,” she explained.
She ultimately went to the hospital. After being transferred to St. Joseph’s Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, for specialized neurological treatment, she was diagnosed with botulism.
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention website states that botulism is caused by ‘a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves and causes difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis and even death’.
Trinity described waking up in the hospital to the reality of how severe the situation had become: “I woke up and I had three IVs. I was intubated, I had a central line in my neck, and I had an NG [nasogastric] tube… and I just woke up and I couldn’t move at all.
“It was very scary. I wasn’t able to talk before. I wasn’t able to walk.”
As of yesterday (March 15), Trinity was able to leave the hospital, but her family says she still has a demanding recovery ahead. Her mother, Loren Amatruda, shared the latest in an update posted to a GoFundMe she set up to help cover medical expenses.
Loren wrote: “We wanted to share an update on Trinity and thank everyone again for the incredible love, prayers, and support. Your kindness has meant so much to our family during this difficult time.
“Trinity is continuing to make progress. Her vision has improved significantly and the double vision is now gone. Her speech has also gotten much better, although it is still a little muffled as she continues to regain strength.”
She added that even with the improvements, the aftermath of botulism can persist for a long time and continues to affect Trinity’s day-to-day life: “Although Trinity has made amazing progress, recovery from botulism is a long road. It will take time before she returns to normal, and the ongoing therapies, medical needs, and time away from work continue to place a heavy burden on her.”
At the time of writing, the fundraiser has brought in more than $8,000 toward its $10,000 goal. You can donate to it here.