Fast moving blood infection becomes flesh-eating bacteria, causing RSL worker painful injury and scarring

A Melbourne mother of two never expected a tiny graze on her elbow after falling at work would turn septic and leave her in a coma for 10 days with her body fighting a flesh-eating bacteria.

Amanda Stacey said she brushed off the cut which happened in September last year as a minor scrape and was more worried about her bruised arm. Days later she was sent home from work feeling unwell before her daughter found her unconscious at home with a swollen arm.

“My daughter realised something was wrong when I wasn’t answering my phone. She called my friend who came and checked on me. She found me really unwell at home and my arm was really swollen so she rang an ambulance. If she hadn’t done that I might not be here today. Hospital staff were telling my parents I might not make it,” Ms Stacey said.

“The blood infection was fast moving and affected the whole right side of my body. I woke up with a big tube down my throat. It was such a shock. I couldn’t talk, see properly, or walk. I had to have surgery to have the flesh removed. I was in hospital for weeks after that.”

The Burnside resident and former RSL worker said she would encourage others hurt at work not to brush off injuries, but to seek medical treatment as soon as possible, and to pursue their legal rights through WorkCover if they can’t return to work.

“When I began to feel unwell, the infection had already taken hold and it wasn’t something I could sleep off. When I was allowed to go home, I was really struggling financially not being able to work so I had to get legal support. I was hesitant at first but it was the right thing to do,” Ms Stacey said.

“When you can’t work and earn an income, it makes things very stressful. The stress and pressure can sometimes be worse than managing the injury itself. Every business is insured in case workers are injured and it’s the insurer that pays. I never thought this could have happened to me but it did.”

Slater and Gordon Workers’ Compensation Sunshine Lawyer Michelle Cavalieri said it was important for all workers to know they were entitled to apply for WorkCover payments to cover their loss of wages and medical costs when injured at work and to protect their futures.

“It doesn’t matter what type of injury you have or how it happened. It’s still worth enquiring to see what support is available to you if the injury happened at work. Workplaces are insured for this reason and pay premiums to a WorkCover insurer, to ensure a worker is covered financially in case of injury,” she said.

“Many people find themselves leaving it quite late to investigate their legal rights and do so because they’re in so much pain following an injury or illness that they cannot return to work and earn money and they require ongoing medical treatment or surgery.

“Some workplaces will tell you not to lodge a WorkCover claim and that they will fund your medical costs but this is doing the worker a great disservice, because they miss out on lost wages and any future economic loss that might occur, as well as the pain and suffering lump sum which could be available through a common law negligence claim – also against the WorkSafe insurer.”

Ms Cavalieri, who is representing Ms Stacey in a workers’ compensation claim against her workplace’s insurer, said Amanda’s right arm was still very scarred and she was concerned about its appearance.

“It’s been a long recovery and the wound is still open at the elbow. It has prevented her from working to the same capacity she was at prior to the injury,” Ms Cavalieri said.