A pregnant teenager has lost her baby and has been left in a wheelchair after she had a tattoo on her right breast.
Luisa Fernanda, 16, from central Colombia’s Casanare Department, fell ill after the tattoo became infected and consequently suffered a miscarriage.
Doctors told her that she would never walk again after the infection spread into her spinal cord. She underwent surgery to drain off some of the liquid caused by the infection but then developed problems with her appendix.
Miss Fernanda said: ‘As I had to take a lot of medicine, I had a miscarriage and lost the son I was carrying.’
She then needed further treatment to help her deal with depression caused by the loss of her baby. Miss Fernanda has now spoken out about her experiences on social media to warn other youngsters about the potential dangers of tattoos.
She said: ‘A year ago I had a tattoo done and it caused the bacteria that affected the spinal cord and stopped me from walking again.
‘It was hard when I was told by the surgeons that I would not able to walk again. My mum supported me a lot.’
‘And it was hard when I left hospital because I needed help to get in and out of my wheelchair and my mum is not strong enough. ‘I was ashamed of being seen outside on the street, because people would point at me, but later I realised it was not good to stay at home all the time.’
Miss Fernanda added that surgeons had told her that she needed a further operation as she battles to regain her health. Her friends are helping her try to find the money to cover the cost of her £3,600 treatment.
Agencies