Singer, 34, makes a full recovery after suffering a horrific reaction to 90% of her body from antibiotics
- WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT
- Sandy Duperval developed toxic epidermal necrolysis from sinus medication
- Just 10 days after being given antibiotics she developed a rash on her body
- Doctors warned her family to expect the worst as her condition worsened
- However , she managed to pull through after undergoing life-saving surgery
Stephen Matthews For Mailonline
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These are the graphic images of a woman who suffered a horrific reaction to 90 per cent of her body after being given antibiotics.
Sandy Duperval, 34, developed toxic epidermal necrolysis that left her fighting for her life in hospital.
Doctors prescribed her medication for a sinus infection seven years ago, but 10 days later she developed a rash.
She went to hospital after her condition worsened but medics warned her family that she may not make survive the night.
However, the singer, from Toronto, Canada, managed to pull through following life-saving surgery.
She has since opened up about her condition to encourage others to never give up.
Sandy Duperval, 34, developed toxic epidermal necrolysis that left her fighting for her life in hospital after being given antibiotics for a sinus infection
Ms Duperval said: ‘My career was going extremely well and I was pretty much living the dream.
‘Suddenly my whole life changed overnight, it took years for my skin and health to return to normal.
‘I was terrified to leave the house because of what people would think and suffered from PTSD.
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‘Looking back at the photos it’s hard not to feel emotional. This experience reminds that for as long as I’m breathing it will get better.’
In December 2009 before touring in Morocco, she was prescribed sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim for 10 days.
But they caused her to break out in rashes and she was given an antihistamine and sent back home.
Medics warned her family that she may not make survive. However, the singer managed to pull through following life-saving surgery (pictured now)
Over 90 per cent of her body was affected and she lost the skin on her lips, hands and feet. Her nails fell off and her mouth and lips constantly bled and she was kept in hospital for four weeks
However, when the rash persisted and her mouth began to ulcer she returned to the hospital.
As the hours went by, her health got worse and her skin began to ‘bubble’.
Doctors assumed that she may have contracted a fatal form of herpes after she had come into contact with monkeys while on tour.
Her family was warned that she may not survive the night because the only dermatologist was away.
However, her mother threatened to sue the hospital if they didn’t find one immediately.
By this point Ms Duperval was semi-conscious as she had been given codeine and morphine to help control her pain.
It took five years for her skin to fully recover. She now suffers from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of her ordeal
She was unable to breathe on her own and the ulcers had spread all the way to her stomach.
WHAT IS TOXIC EPIDERMAL NECROLYSIS?
Toxic epidermal necrolysis is a potentially life-threatening reaction that usually occurs after beginning a new medication.
It is believed to be affect just one in 500,000 people and is more common in elderly people – mainly due to their increased drug supply.
Experts say it causes the top layer of skin to detach from lower layers, causing the body to break in painful blisters and sores.
Necrosis also occurs – the death of most or all of the cells in an organ or tissue due to disease, injury, or failure of the blood supply.
It is reported that 30 per cent of cases die as a result of the reaction, which commonly leads to sepsis and organ infections.
Source: Patient.info
Surgeons performed a tracheal intubation to assist her breathing and she was placed in an induced coma for three days.
Over 90 per cent of her body was affected and she lost the skin on her lips, hands and feet.
Her nails fell off and her mouth and lips constantly bled and she was kept in hospital for four weeks.
She added: ‘When they took the tube out of me and I saw the blood coming out of my mouth, I realised how bad it was.
‘Then I saw my face for the first time and cried like I had never cried before.’
It took five years for her skin to fully recover. She now suffers from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of her ordeal.
Ms Duperval said: ‘Recovering was hard but I was so grateful for being alive that it helped me through the process.
‘Despite living with anxiety, I keep a positive mind and work on my emotions as they come.
‘Some days are harder than others but I’m a fighter.
‘So far, my body has been nothing but amazing and my pigmentation is fully back.
‘I had the greatest support system and my mum and grandma were there every step of the way.’
She has also since developed a phobia of medication and will only use natural products.
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