Teen girl fighting for life after catching virus from Christmas market food

28 December 2023 , 12:04

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Antonia, who is a student, remains in hospital (Image: GoFundMe)

A teenage girl has been fighting for life in hospital after she contracted a strain of E. coli from food bought at a Christmas market.

Antonia, 17, has spent the past two weeks in the intensive care unit (ICU). Doctors believe she caught STEC-HUS, caused by E. coli O157, and they've performed multiple operations, including one to remove part of her bowel. Antonia has also had a blood transfusion as her kidneys have been failing, forcing her onto dialysis.

The girl got the unpleasant strain after eating at a Christmas market, it is thought. Her older sister, Jemima Hay, said the teen is "lucky to be alive" and has started a GoFundMe appeal to help her family, who are from Buckinghamshire.

The page reads: "She is currently lucky to be alive and has continued to show amazing determination and strength throughout this time, despite the immense stress, pain and trauma - all combined with an extreme phobia of injections."

The aspiring actress, from Buckinghamshire, contracted E. coli (GoFundMe)

Antonia was allowed to spend Christmas Day at home with her family - who have not left her side - before returning to the hospital on Boxing Day because of her kidney failure. The student, who wants to be an actress, is concerned about how this will impact the rest of her life and career and feels as if her "dreams have been ripped away" because she cannot continue studying on her performing arts course.

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The family also currently has no income, as her father is not being paid for taking time off work. Jemima said: "Anybody who has met Antonia will know that she is the most kind, caring, outgoing person and lights up any room she walks into. Despite going through the toughest time in her life, all she has cared about is everybody else and how they are feeling, still trying to make everybody laugh."

According to the NHS, only a small amount of people go on to develop HUS from this strain of E. coli. You can catch this specific strain by eating contaminated food, touching infected animals, having contact with others who have the virus and drinking or swimming in infected water.

More than £8,000 has been raised for the family in around one week. The family thanked the public for their generosity and added: "This money will help her immensely with her ongoing treatments, recovery and expenses, including following her performing arts dreams." To donate to the appeal, visit this link.

Bradley Jolly