Mother hit with flesh eating disease

WINDSOR, ONT. • Friends, family and complete strangers are rallying to support an online fundraising campaign for a young Belle River, Ont., mother who days after giving birth was stricken with a rare case of necrotizing fasciitis, known as flesh-eating disease.

Stacey Harris came down with a Group A streptococcus infection just days after giving birth on April 9 to Harper — her second child — at Windsor Regional Hospital.

She and the baby girl were at home with her husband, Brandon, and their toddler, Lilah, when Stacey fell ill, according to sources. She initially returned to Windsor Regional but was quickly transferred to London Health Sciences’ Victoria Hospital.

She remained in critical condition on Monday, according to a spokeswoman for the London hospital, who could not provide further details.

Several fundraisers that have been launched to assist the family. Contributions to Stacey’s Recovery on gofundme.com as of Tuesday totalled $36,500 — more than double the initial goal of $15,000.

The family “have a long and expensive road ahead, so they can use all the financial assistance they can get, both for expenses right now in London and to maintain the girls in Belle River,” says the gofundme.com campaign site.

Other fundraising events scheduled in Belle River for Harris include a yard sale this Saturday and a dinner at the end of the month.

Local medical officer of health Dr. Gary Kirk, while not at liberty to discuss Harris, did talk in general about her infection.

Those with such chronic conditions as diabetes are mostly likely to have a Group A strep infection turn into flesh-eating disease, he said, adding it can also strike after surgery and childbirth.

The health unit’s role is to determine who may have had “significant contact” with someone who is stricken with the infection, treat them with antibiotics and monitor their condition.

No other individual has yet turned up positive for the disease, Kirk said. “It is a dramatic disease, but it is extremely rare.”

It is estimated there are between 90 and 200 cases per year in Canada of necrotizing fasciitis caused by Group A strep with about 20 to 30 per cent being fatal.

Symptoms include a high fever and a red, severely painful swelling that feels hot and spreads rapidly, according to Health Canada.

Stacey Harris came down with a Group A streptococcus infection just days after giving birth.