This archive report was first published on 26 September 2019.
On September 26, 2019, a Tennessee woman's life took a terrifying turn after visiting a nail salon for a routine manicure. Jayne Sharp, a Knoxville mom, started feeling ill shortly after the service, with her thumb swelling and throbbing.
Sharp's daughter, a registered nurse, encouraged her to seek medical attention, which led to a series of events that would change her life forever. The swelling in her thumb traveled up to her elbow, and she was rushed to the emergency room.
"The doctors told us had I waited another hour it might not be a good situation," Sharp recalled, referencing a similar case in Florida where a man died within 48 hours from flesh-eating bacteria. Sharp was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis and underwent multiple surgeries.
"I'm lucky to be alive," Sharp said in an interview. Despite her recovery, Sharp's thumb remains numb months after the incident.
Necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating bacteria, is a serious and aggressive bacterial infection that spreads rapidly, causing tissue death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this condition is more common in people with weakened immune systems, such as those with cancer or diabetes.
