'My rare disease made me stab myself - I don't even remember doing it'
A mum who suffers from Huntington's disease has recalled the terrifying moment she stabbed herself in front of her husband and then couldn't remember.
Charlotte Hewitt, from Cumbria, ended up in a coma for six days after she knifed herself due to involuntary movements caused by the rare condition.
The former cleaner says she is still haunted by the ordeal and admits that she has no recollection of the horrifying stabbing which took place earlier this year. She believes she is "lucky to be alive" and has been nicknamed "Wonder Woman" by her friends and family.
The 33-year-old, who suffers from stage 2 of the disease, was diagnosed nine years ago after she found out her father Ken, 70, carried the gene. The inherited condition causes damage to nerve cells in the brain and stops them from working properly.
The mum has had some of her bowel removed (Jam Press/Charlotte Hewitt)Charlotte said she was having a normal day before the freak accident took place. “I picked up a knife and shot it straight into my side,” she explained. My partner Kenny screamed and shouted for me to stop, but by this point, I had pulled the knife out of my body. It went all the way in [and] I started to lose consciousness. Even to this day, it scares me that I have no recollection of doing this. I just wish something would come back so I could explain [to myself] why I did this.”
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
She was rushed to Preston Hospital on June 22 and was put in a coma. “I had so much internal bleeding I’m lucky to be alive," she explained. I had to have three surgeries to save my bowel. This all happened whilst I was in a coma. so I had no clue what was going on." Surgeons were forced to remove three-quarters of Charlotte’s bowel, meaning she will require a stoma in the future.
She was in hospital for a total of 11 days. Her Huntington’s symptoms first started in 2019, but reflecting on her childhood, Charlotte says the signs had been there for a long time. As an adult, she now suffers from involuntary movement, with her legs and arms “giving way” at a moment’s notice, as well as twitches, depression and anxiety.
Charlotte is raising money with her family (Jam Press/Charlotte Hewitt)
Charlotte is determined to take part in the race (Jam Press/Charlotte Hewitt)Three months on from her stabbing event, Charlotte shares the toll it has taken on her mental well-being. She said: “I can't get the incident out of my head. It’s a scary process because I also wonder, do people understand? I can’t remember stabbing myself – it’s a part of my illness, it means I’m unpredictable. I'm petrified it could happen again, you can never say never."
Luckily, her father doesn’t have any symptoms of the disease, but Charlotte lives in fear that her son Mason, 10, may develop symptoms. "[There is] a 50/50% chance that Mason could carry the gene on, she said. I really hope he doesn’t, because then that’s it. He knows I have an illness but until he is a bit older there's no need for his little mind to worry.”
To raise money and awareness of Huntington’s Disease, Charlotte and Mason are completing a 22-mile walk this November. It’s going to be a challenge for the mum, who struggles to walk, but she’s determined to make it happen. “I will have to use a wheelchair and walking stick some of the way but it's something I'd like to do," she said. "It’s hard dealing with this disease in every way but the awareness needs to be out there and professionals need to learn more about Huntington’s.” Charlotte is also holding a charity raffle auction night in December at her local pub and has received lots of donations already. She added: “I've raised around £600 so far with [a]raffle, bonus ball numbers and also a walk. This is just the beginning.”
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