What started as a family holiday in Tenerife turned into a nightmare for James Leishman, 46, who received the devastating news that a seemingly harmless bruise on his arm was actually a rare and serious infection.
James, who was traveling with his partner Belinda Cathro, 52, and their 11-year-old son Daniel, first noticed the bruise on his elbow during their flight on Monday, August 19. Although the bruise looked concerning, it wasn’t until the elbow suddenly burst with pus two hours into the flight that the family realized something was wrong. At the time, James didn’t experience any pain, and they dismissed it as a minor issue.
The following morning, however, James awoke in pain at their hotel in Costa Adeje. He sought help from a local chemist, who provided antibiotics, a bandage, and ibuprofen. But by late morning, James’ condition rapidly deteriorated. “At around 11 a.m. on Tuesday, James said he could not walk anymore and needed to go back to the hotel and sleep. By 12 p.m., he was hot, had a very bad headache, and 29 minutes later, he didn’t know who he was, who I was, or where he was. He could not walk or focus and was in so much pain,” Belinda told Express.
The hotel called a doctor, costing 130 euros, and later an ambulance, which added another 170 euros to their expenses. James was taken to a private hospital, where Belinda was required to pay 1,100 euros just to see him. When she did, his arm had swollen to four times its normal size. Unable to afford continued private care, James was transferred by taxi to a public hospital in Santa Cruz, nearly 50 miles away, where he tragically confessed to Belinda that he “felt his life ebb away.”
Doctors diagnosed James with Strep A/Toxic Shock Syndrome and gave him a 50/50 chance of survival, with the added risk that his arm might need to be amputated. On Wednesday morning, August 21, Belinda received the heartbreaking news that James had been placed on life support as the infection continued to spread. Family members, including his mother, sister, and eldest son, flew to Tenerife to be by his side.
James underwent multiple operations to remove the infected tissue from his arm and to try to flush out the infection. Despite the grim prognosis, by Saturday, August 24, James was off the breathing tubes but still required oxygen due to lung complications.
The financial burden has been overwhelming for the family, who are now in significant debt. Belinda has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of James’ treatment and future care. “We hope this GoFundMe will help go towards the debt as we still need to get the invoice for his treatment and the funds will be used for future treatment,” she said.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Belinda added, “Who would have guessed a bruise would lead us to this. This has been the most awful holiday. It’s had a big impact on all our mental health, and as for future holidays, it will be here in the UK.”