Just a few days after the treatment, Ms. Amma’s life took an unexpected turn.
A fitness influencer’s worst nightmare came true for Beatriz Amma after she had a terrifying battle with a flesh-eating disease. Three years ago, at the age of 23, Miss Amma sought perfection at a luxury spa in Los Angeles, where she spent $800 (about Rs 66,000) on a treatment regimen that included a series of vitamin injections.
These injections, which contain a mixture of vitamins B1 and C and “quick-dissolving” deoxycholic acid, were administered 60 times to his arms, back and stomach.
Just a few days after the treatment, Ms. Amma’s life took an unexpected turn. He shared with: Kennedy News“I had scars on my skin and they started to appear in the areas where the injections were given… It was like my whole body was destroying itself.”
The diagnosis was murky Mycobacterium abscessus, a well-known bacterial infection that causes painful skin lesions. Medical experts attributed this to improper injection of deoxycholic acid.
A former swimsuit model, Amma’s desire to become a fitness influencer and enjoy a life full of travel was dashed. She underwent multiple surgeries to remove infected tissue and now, three years later, must endure six hours a day of intravenous antibiotics.
What adds to the chilling nature of this narrative is that it all seems completely legitimate. The Los Angeles spa where Amma received these injections exuded an air of cleanliness, professionalism and safety. “An employee assured me that it was produced by a highly reputable company and even showed me the bottles. I was very excited,” Ms. Amma recalled.
Previous research has revealed a troubling correlation between defective injections and similar skin reactions, highlighting the risks individuals like Amma unknowingly assume in their quest for aesthetic enhancement.
The ordeal that followed turned into a life-or-death struggle, with Amma left bedridden and her own body seemingly turned against her. Explaining how her body was destroyed, she said, “I couldn’t even dress myself. I needed help to use the toilet, shower and change my clothes. I felt my condition deteriorating in bed.”
Ms. Amma vividly remembers the moment when she feared she might succumb to the flesh-eating disease. “I prayed to God and said, ‘If this is my time, take me.’ My body was at its limit. I clearly remember being in such excruciating pain that I believed I wouldn’t survive that night. I couldn’t fight anymore.”
“Every time I look in the mirror, I’m reminded of how much of my life I lost because of this ordeal. My dream was to be a fitness influencer, and I loved traveling and wearing bikinis. I worked tirelessly to achieve that. I had the body,” she lamented. Her doctors told her, “This you will have the condition indefinitely; “If you give up on your desire to be impressive, your skin will constantly alarm people,” he said.
Ms. Amma refuses to let this traumatic experience shape her identity. Instead, she directs her efforts to promoting body positivity and raising awareness of this disfiguring disorder.
Still, she continues to struggle with the repercussions of that ill-fated spa visit. He said, “I am now in the third year of this journey and it is far from over. I could never have imagined that something so seemingly simple could nearly cost me my life and still leave me struggling to survive.”
