Stephenie Rodriguez: How Oyinbo Lady Had 36 Surgeries & Amputated her Legs after Mosquito Bit Her in Nigeria

• 52-year-old Australian socialite, Stephenie Rodriguez, had to amputate her legs in order to be able to walk again
• Trouble started for the single mother after she was bitten three times on her left ankle by a mosquito during an event she attended in Lagos, Nigeria
• After she contracted cerebral malaria, doctors had put her chances of survival at two percent after a drug used in treating severe malaria sent her into shock

An Australian national has lost the use of her natural legs after being bitten by a mosquito in Lagos, Nigeria.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the 52-year-old single mum identified as Stephenie Rodriguez had attended the Hive event on September 11 in Lagos, Nigeria.

Days later at a gathering of travel executives at the event, the socialite was asked by organizers to go outside for a photo shoot with delegates.

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It was in the course of the photo shoot which held beside a stagnant pool that the lady was bitten three times on her left ankle by a mosquito.

She underwent 36 surgeries and had 368 hospital nights

Perhaps, owing to the fact that she doused herself in mosquito repellant, Stephenie didn't so much as bother about the mosquito bite in Lagos.

But days after she flew to India, the digital entrepreneuer began to feel tired and exhausted and was rushed to the hospital when she stopped over at Boston after struggling to eat and drink.

What she had thought was a compound jet-lag was confirmed by an infectious disease specialist to be cerebral malaria. At this point, she had fallen into coma.

According to Daily Mail, the single mum was given a 2% chance of survival after a drug used to treat severe malaria identified as Artesunate sent her into shock and organ failure.

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It was in a bid to save her life that doctors used vasopressor drugs to redirect blood flow from her limbs to her vital organs.

This however led to her feet being without blood and consequently blackening.

She would eventually be airlifted to her home country Australia where she had an above knee amputation after 36 surgeries aimed at restoring the use of her legs failed.

Her feet had above-ankle bilateral osseointegrated implants and mechanical feet in place of the areas amputated.

WHO says Nigeria accounts for 27% of half of malaria deaths worldwide in 2020

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh previously reported that WHO had stated Nigeria accounted for 27% of half of malaria deaths worldwide.

According to WHO’s latest report, there was an estimate of 241 million malaria cases and 627,000 malaria deaths — mostly of children under five — worldwide in 2020.

The 2020 figure represents about 14 million more cases in 2020, compared to 2019, and 69,000 more deaths.

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Senate lampoons FG over plans to borrow $200m for mosquito nets

In other related news, the Senate had lampooned the FG over plans to borrow $200 million for mosquito nets.

The Committee chairman, Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe faulted the move following the presentation of Mammam Mahmuda, the permanent secretary, ministry of health, on Tuesday, October 26.

In his presentation before the committee, Mahmuda, said the loan had become necessary due to high rate of under five mortality which was caused by malaria and inaccessibility to malaria treatments.

Source: YEN.com.gh