Woman Nearly Loses Leg After False Widow Spider Bite in UK Garden
A woman’s relaxing afternoon in a Staffordshire garden turned into a terrifying ordeal when she was bitten by a false widow spider, nearly costing her leg. Bella Lamorte, 39, was visiting her partner in Stoke-on-Trent last month when the incident occurred. The copywriter from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was sitting outside in fishnet tights when she felt a throbbing sensation on her right ankle later that evening. By the next morning, she could barely walk.
Recalling the experience, Bella said, “I went down to see my partner in Stoke, and they had just mowed the lawn. We were sitting outside, and I didn’t notice anything biting me. It wasn’t until I went upstairs later that night that I felt this throbbing just above my ankle. I’m not allergic to insect bites, nor have I ever had a reaction.”
The following day, the discomfort escalated, and by Tuesday, Bella was in severe pain, unable to walk. “It was so painful. I had to crawl up the staircase. It was so swollen. It felt like someone was constantly stabbing a dagger into my foot,” she explained. Bella sought medical help at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire after calling 111. She was prescribed antibiotics and instructed to return a few days later, told The Mirror.
However, within a week, the infection had worsened, and her foot became even more swollen. Doctors informed Bella that the infection had spread, and she was at risk of losing her foot or even her leg if it wasn’t treated promptly. Her condition had progressed to sepsis, a life-threatening complication. “I was in so much pain,” Bella recalled. “They told me they needed to do surgery and cut out the dead flesh because some of it had gone septic.
They said I could’ve lost my foot or my leg. The doctor believed it was an insect bite, possibly from a false widow spider. They told me I could’ve lost my life from this.” Bella underwent surgery to remove the infected tissue, leaving her foot with a large wound that now requires a skin graft. Although she is back on her feet, she remains cautious around insects.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Bella said, “I’m back on my feet now but still limping. It was so scary to think I could’ve lost my life. I never thought this sort of thing would happen in a UK garden. It’s made me think twice about wearing my fishnets in the garden!” Bella is now warning others about the potential dangers lurking in their gardens. “I just wanted to warn people. I easily could’ve lost my leg. I’m hyper-vigilant around insects now, and I worry if this was a vulnerable person bitten,” she added.