After getting a tattoo from an artist she found on social media, Stephanie Roberts said she was hospitalized due to complications and required two surgeries.
PHOENIX — What was supposed to be a meaningful tattoo of the Virgin Mary turned nearly fatal for one man. arizona woman She said she developed serious complications after getting a tattoo from an artist she found on social media.
Stephanie Roberts says she chose tattoo artist after seeing her work online. But days after receiving the tattoo, which stretches from her wrist to her elbow, Roberts said she began to experience worrying symptoms that ultimately landed her in the hospital for a week and two surgeries.
“This was my first tattoo with an artist I found on Instagram,” said Roberts, who has many other tattoos.
She believed the artist was working in a professional studio, but soon realized upon arrival that this was not the case.
“I was told it was a studio,” Roberts said. “So, I walked, got out of the car, walked up to her, introduced her. I was fine, you know? I said, ‘Hey, I thought you were in the studio.'” And she said, ‘Yeah, my dad made me a studio in a shipping container. ‘”
Despite her concerns, Roberts said she went ahead with the appointment because she had paid the $200 deposit and was impressed by the artist’s portfolio.
Shortly after getting the tattoo, Roberts said her condition deteriorated rapidly.
“I think I burned my arm on the end of it because it was super red,” she said. “It felt like third-degree burns.”
After a few days, she said the tattoo blistered and the swelling increased.
“I had chills, fever. I threw up,” Roberts said. “It was very swollen. Very red. I just didn’t feel like myself.”
Roberts ended up in the hospital after her symptoms worsened.
“When my hands started turning purple and compartment syndrome started to set in, my muscle fascia started to swell to the point where it cut off the circulation to my hands,” she said.
Doctors told Roberts she had compartment syndrome, cellulitis and sepsis, a potentially life-threatening reaction to an infection.
Dr. Frank Lovecchio, an emergency physician at Valley Wise Health in Phoenix, Arizona, said this is a dangerous situation that can cause permanent damage.
“This is the body’s overwhelming and potentially fatal response to infection,” he said.
While in the hospital, Roberts said she also learned she was pregnant.
“The ER doctor from my hospital came in and he said, ‘So your pregnancy test is positive,'” Roberts recalled. “I was like, ‘No way.'”
The moment was overshadowed by the trauma of the medical emergency, she said.
“This should be special, you know, but it’s not,” Roberts said. “I’m trying to stay positive about it, but the whole situation is really bad.”
Roberts said she has been in contact with the tattoo artist and is seeking a refund for the $1,200 tattoo.
She said she will continue taking antibiotics and have follow-up medical appointments as she recovers in the coming weeks.
An attorney representing the tattoo artist declined to comment but said more details may be released later.
