A 23-year-old student who complained of flu-like symptoms woke up in the hospital with all of her limbs amputated.
Lily McGarry was living a vibrant, active life until January 14, when flu-like symptoms suddenly spiraled into something far more sinister.
Just days after waking up with a cough, Lily was rushed to the hospital by her housemates.
“She is the sickest patient in this hospital,” staff told her friends during those critical early hours at the University Hospital of Wales - a facility with over 3,000 patients, as reported by BBC News.
It was meningococcal septicaemia - a severe and aggressive bacterial infection. It triggered septic shock, led to two cardiac arrests, and left her in a coma for two weeks.
And while Lily’s fight for survival was nothing short of a miracle, what came next was unthinkable.
After waking up, Lily learned her limbs could not be saved. Due to the extreme septic shock, her blood pressure had dropped so low that it cut off circulation to her arms and legs.
She underwent emergency surgery to “shorten all four limbs” - both legs above the knees and both arms through the elbows.
The shock rocked everyone close to her.
“It was a real shock,” said Ella Jennings, Lily’s housemate and fellow medical student. “We thought things had been looking up.”
Jennings remembered the moment things took a terrifying turn, even before the diagnosis: “The rash started crawling up her neck while she was sitting in the waiting room.”
She added: “Lily is genuinely the kindest, most selfless person I've ever met. No amount of money or support is going to obviously bring back her limbs and bring back the life she should have had... but just anything we can do to help her live a life as full as possible.”
Lily’s family is now focused on helping her rebuild that life, one step at a time.
“While this is a devastating situation, her strength and determination remain unshaken,” they wrote on a GoFundMe page that’s already raised more than £250,000 ($332,000) from over 5,000 donors.
The funds will go toward prosthetics, home adaptations, and intensive rehabilitation to help Lily return to the activities she loves - like running, swimming, and surfing.
“Before her illness, Lily was an avid swimmer, runner, and surfer, and these sports are essential to her well-being and happiness,” the family shared. “The advanced prosthetics available through private companies will give her the mobility and independence to return to these activities.”
They also noted just how costly the road ahead will be: “Just one prosthetic leg exceeds £100,000 ($133,000).” The goal has now been raised to £250,000 to support everything from specialist equipment to essential home adjustments.
“Funds raised here will go directly towards prosthetics, adaptations to living environment, as well as the physiotherapy and rehabilitation necessary for Lily’s recovery,” they said.
Any extra funds not used directly for her care will be donated to Limb Power, a charity supporting amputees and those with limb impairments through physical activity, sport, and the arts.