Tourist paralysed by stroking holiday cat
A WOMAN who spent more than a year paralysed after befriending a stray cat on holiday has said she hopes her nightmare will “inspire” others.
Brave Gemma Birch, 24, took 14 months to recover from a potentiallyfatal condition thought to have been sparked by the cat rummaging in bins.
She has been left with the legacy of tingling, weakness and numbness any time she has a tiny injury or infection.
But the psychology graduate and internet blogger said: “I’ve stopped being a victim and instead I am thankful for learning so much.
“I don’t want people to wait until they have a negative experience to appreciate life and everything they have. I hope my story inspires them.”
Gemma’s agony began in Albufeira, Portugal in 2014, when she grew fond of a black cat she named Catarina.
She let the cat into her accommodation, stroked it and gave it milk. On the last day of the holiday she fell sick and once home in Southport, Merseyside she went straight to hospital.
Tests found her gut was infected with campylobacter, a common cause of food poisoning found in raw poultry.
As Gemma was a pescatarian who ate only fish and vegetables the bacteria was blamed on contact with the cat. She was discharged after a week but one night she fell out of bed and could not feel her legs.
Back at hospital she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome – and within hours was paralysed from the hips down.
She then spent months in rehab, learning how to walk and be independent again.
She even managed to pass her degree by watching PowerPoint lectures and emailing university staff.
And she said: “I still stroke pet cats but I wouldn’t touch a stray one now – much as I love them.”