Trinity Peterson-Mayes, a 24-year-old man from Arizona and a two-time childhood cancer survivor, is now facing a life-threatening illness linked to a rare toxin linked to a meal with friends.
Who is Trinity Peterson Mays?
Trinity was diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer at two months old, but she fought and won the battle. At age 11, she faced a form of aggression bone cancer And got over it again.
Last month, at a casual gathering, Trinity and five friends decided to try a friend’s homemade fermented swordfish dish.
“To be honest, it tastes terrible,” Trinity told local outlet KPNX. “It was supposed to be healthy and I figured I might as well give it a try and if it was bad, I’d be bad stomach ache“.
A few days later, alarming symptoms appeared. She had difficulty swallowing and even choked on a sip of coffee or water that flowed into the wrong pipe. Her condition rapidly deteriorated, causing her to seek emergency care.
She went to a local hospital and then was transferred to St. Joseph Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute for specialized neurological care, where doctors diagnosed her with botulism.
“I woke up and had three IVs,” Trinity told the outlet. “I was intubated and had a central line inserted into my neck, and the result was NG [nasogastric] What the hell… I just woke up and I can’t move at all. Very scary. I couldn’t speak before. I can’t walk. “
Of the six people who tasted the fermented swordfish, three developed botulism, including Trinity. Her two affected friends have now recovered and been discharged from hospital. Trinity is still recovering, making stable progress, and is expected to be discharged from the hospital in the coming days.
What is botulism?
Botulism is a rare but potentially fatal disease caused by a powerful neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. This toxin attacks the body’s nerves, causing breathing difficulties and muscle paralysis.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), foodborne botulism often stems from improperly preserved or fermented foods that create low-oxygen conditions for bacteria to thrive.
“It causes paralysis of the muscles, most importantly the chest muscles, which are the muscles responsible for breathing,” emergency physician Dr. Frank LoVecchio told KPNX. “On average, there are about two dozen cases of food botulism per year in the United States.”
GoFundMe launched
Trinity’s mother, Loren Amatruda, launched a GoFundMe campaign Help pay for mounting hospital bills, ongoing recovery costs, and living expenses during recovery.
“Recovery from botulism can take anywhere from weeks to months, sometimes longer, and often requires extensive rehabilitation and treatment,” Loren wrote.
“Though she has been through it all, Trinity has shown the same strength and resilience that helped her beat cancer twice as a child. She fights every day to regain the basic abilities that most of us take for granted – to speak, swallow and move normally again.”
