This Morning guest breaks down in tears as he recalls weeks before he lost his wife to rabies after getting scratched by a dog on holiday
Yvonne Ford passed away aged 59 on June 11 after she was scratched by a stray dog who had been lying under her sunbed back in February.
'Rabies is a rare but serious infection that's usually caught from a bite or scratch of an infected animal. It's almost always fatal once symptoms appear, but vaccination and early treatment can prevent it,' according to the NHS.
Her husband Ron and her two children Robyn and Adam appeared on the ITV show on Monday to raise awareness about the viral disease and how to prevent a devastating death.
Speaking about the trip, Ron said: 'We went to Morocco for a winter break. Two days before we came home, we were on the beach on the hotel, lots of dogs were running about everywhere...
'There was a puppy underneath her sunbed, she put her leg down and it startled the dog, it scratched her. It didn't bleed. It didn't really mark her...
'So I asked her, should we go see somebody, she said "it's not bled so"... you're unaware.
'That was the second to last day of the holiday, no illness. No nothing. Went home. A month later, still nothing, no symptoms whatsoever.'
Host Dermot O'Leary pointed out that they had been on another trip just weeks before her tragic death, to which Ron said: 'In May we went to Florida, in fact on 21st, she was dancing around a poll with my granddaughter...'
Ron then got extremely emotional, took a deep breath and put his head down at the ground as he started to cry.
'Sorry Ron,' Dermot said. 'Take a minute Ron.'
Dermot asked: 'When did the symptoms first arise?'
Robyn explained: 'We came back from Florida on the 23rd of May, the following week my dad and mum went to York on a fishing trip in the campervan.
'On the Saturday my mum started with a horrendous headache, unbearable headache, she couldn't sleep at all.
'The Monday after, my dad had taken her to A&E because her headache was so severe, the Monday she went into hospital, walking talking, doing everything.
'Come the Friday, she couldn't walk, talk, swallow, she had a fear of water, she was horrendously hallucinating, beyond what we could imagine.
'She just deteriorated within five days.'
Doctor Nighat Arif appeared on the sofa to give viewers tips on what to do before going on holiday.
She said: 'Immediately before going on holiday, there is a rabies vaccine that we can give.
'Its available privately for travel. We know 59,000 cases of rabies or deaths across the world in 150 countries.
'Pales like Morocco, Asia, Africa, north Africa, the world has become such a small place now, we don't think about it.
'We've managed to irradicate it in Europe.'
She continued: 'If you have a scratch, most immediate thing to do is wash it with soup and water, clean the wound.
'It's not always just a scratch that we get from kittens, or dogs or bats, it could be licking of the nose, tongue, lips, eyes, wash all of that out.
'There is post exposure treatment you can be given as well.'
Dermot thanked the family for appearing on the show and asked: 'What's the one message you would like to send to anyone?'
Adam said: 'Just check the recommendations from the government, Morocco was only recommended for rabies. it's not a "you have to do it". Just check.
'We don't want people to go through what we've gone through. Seeing your mum deteriorate in seven days like that. we don't want anyone to go through that ever again.
'If we can get the awareness out, just check, check, check, contact your doctor. Get the injections. That's all we want.'
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.
By Mary Kekatos, Health Reporter for DailyMail.com
Rabies is a virus that attacks the central nervous system and the brain.
It is almost 100 percent fatal if left untreated.
The virus spreads to people via the saliva of infected animals, usually from a bite, but the saliva can also enter through a cut or break in the skin.
In the US, the animals that most commonly transmit rabies are bats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons and skunks.
Signs and symptoms:
Fever
Headache
Vomiting
Excessive salivation
Difficulty swallowing
Confusion
Hallucination
The virus can lay dormant in the body between one and three months in what is known as the 'incubation period'.
When a person begins showing symptoms, the disease has usually progressed to a point where it is fatal.
Those who believe they've been bitten by a rabid animal should wash their wound with soap and water and immediately seek medical attention.
Treatment:
The Mayo Clinic states that two forms of medication need to be given, within 10 days of infection.
Rabies immune globulin shot: Gives a person antibodies against the virus and should be administered near the bite site as soon as possible after the bite
Series of vaccine shots: Helps the body make its own antibodies against the virus. There are four shots that are administered over 14 days
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have only been 23 cases reported of rabies in the US from 2008 to 2017, with eight of those being contracted outside the US and its territories.
There are typically one to three cases reported every year, the agency says.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Woman developed $400-a-day WHIPPETS addiction that destroyed her legs then killed her
A Florida woman died after developing a crippling, $400-per-day addiction to nitrous oxide that once left her temporarily paralyzed. Meg Caldwell, 29, of Clermont in the Orlando area, was found dead outside a smoke shop in late 2024 years after becoming hooked on whippets, a slang term for canisters that contain nitrous oxide. She began doing whippets recreationally in college before it spiraled into a full–fledged addiction, her sister said. 'She would spend $300, $400 at a smoke shop in a day,' Leigh Caldwell told Boston 25. On one occasion, after overdosing on the drug, Meg temporarily lost use of her legs. 'A doctor in the hospital said, "This is going to kill you. You're going to die,"' Leigh said. Even after the terrifying experience, she continued to use nitrous oxide. 'Her whole life had become derailed due to her addiction to this drug,' Leigh added. Meg would buy nitrous oxide from local smoke shops, inhale it in the parking lot and then head back inside for more. 'She didn't think that it would hurt her because she was buying it in the smoke shop, so she thought she was using this substance legally,' another sister, Kathleen Dial, told the BBC. The youngest of four sisters, she was 'the light of our lives,' Dial added. Nitrous oxide - also known as laughing gas - is sold legally in the US, though some states regulate the product's sale. Meg's family has filed a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of nitrous oxide and seven Florida smoke shops to stop retail sales of the drug. 'This is not a wrongful death case. The Caldwells made a decision that their focus would be for the public good,' said John Allen Yanchunis, an attorney who represents the Caldwells. Meg isn't the only one who has suffered from the dangerous addiction. From 2019 to 2023, the number of deaths attributed to nitrous oxide poisoning rose by more than 100 percent, according to the CDC. Dr. Gaylord Lopez, executive director of the Georgia Poison Centertold Boston 25 that 'a lot of these patients are adults who are being seen in the emergency room after having experienced blackouts, unconsciousness.' She described how chronic use of nitrous oxide robs the brain and heart of oxygen. This can lead to blood conditions, blood clots and temporary paralysis. Nitrous oxide can cause death through a lack of oxygen, or by the substance's effect on the cardiovascular system – as it can lead to dangerous changes in heart rate and blood pressure. Drug addiction counselor Kim Castro told Boston 25 that she's had four clients who have died from nitrous oxide poisoning. 'You really don't know when you'll stop breathing, when you'll lose consciousness, when your body will stop functioning. It's pretty scary,' she said. Galaxy Gas, a company that produces flavored whipped-cream chargers and dispensers containing nitrous oxide, is named in the lawsuit. Its dispensers became famous after going viral last year, as people filmed themselves using the products. TikTok has since blocked 'Galaxy Gas' as a search result. In March, the FDA released a statement advising consumers not to inhale nitrous oxide products, including Galaxy Gas and many other brands. Lawyers for the brand said it was sold to a Chinese company last year.
Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
NHS doctor shares five natural ways to lower high blood pressure
NHS Doctor Amir Khan has shared his five top tips to lower your high blood pressure whether or not you know it's a problem - and they're much easier than you might think An estimated 16 million adults in the UK are living with high blood pressure, and a worrying number remain oblivious to their condition. Common signs of high blood pressure such as headaches, blurred vision, or nosebleeds are often dismissed as minor health issues. NHS Doctor Amir Khan, known for his appearances on ITV's 'Lorraine' and ' Good Morning Britain ', has taken to social media to offer five natural remedies to combat high blood pressure. In his informative video, he describes blood pressure as the "force of your blood against the walls of your arteries", noting that a healthy reading is typically below 120/80 mmHg. While it's crucial to stick to any prescribed medication for high blood pressure, Dr Khan suggests that tweaking your diet could also yield significant benefits. He advised: "Eat less salt. If you don't have high blood pressure, there's still a debate about how much salt will affect you but if you do have high blood pressure, listen up. "Adults should only have around six grams of one level teaspoon of salt per day and most of that is already hidden in the food that we eat. "So try not to add salt to your food. Instead, season it with things like pepper, herbs and spices and if you're buying tinned food, go for it in water rather than in salty brine. With nuts, always go for unsalted nuts." Next, he encouraged people to consume more foods packed with potassium including bananas, tomatoes, carrots, kiwi, nectarines and spinach. He explains that the potassium will assist in flushing out surplus sodium or salt from your system, thereby reducing your blood pressure. Nevertheless, he cautions that individuals suffering from kidney disease ought to monitor their potassium consumption carefully. With two recommendations working in tandem, he suggests you should "get moving" and "achieve a healthy weight" to ensure your body operates optimally. Beyond this, he advises giving up smoking and cutting out alcohol, arguing they merely compound your overall health issues. Many found the informational clip to be very useful – and some even took to the comments section to share their own experiences. Responding to his post, one user commented: "I've had high blood pressure since I was 16 my whole family have it my dad since he was nine been on meds since then don't think they are working well anymore. "I am seeing a doctor Tuesday lost four stone ain't smoked in a year and half and don't drink, it's so frustrating." Another user contributed: "I asked my nurse what I could do to help reduce my blood pressure she said nothing." A third user remarked: "I got preeclampsia with my first baby five years ago. I play netball four times a week. I am 9 stone (skinny) and try to limit salt. I am on two meds and my blood pressure today is 160/90. It's so frustrating."
The Herald Scotland
13 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Trump plan eases sharing of computerized health records
Trump touted the idea of eliminating redundancies such as filling out paperwork at multiple health providers offices. "This will allow patients to easily transmit information from one doctor to another," Trump said during a July 30 briefing with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz. Trump emphasized the initiative will be voluntary and require patients to opt in. He added there will be no centralized, government-run database storing patients' personal records. "People are very concerned about the personal records," Trump said. "That's their choice ... it will be absolutely quiet." Large hospital systems and some doctors allow patients to share health information, fill out forms and schedule appointments through websites and mobile apps. And health tech companies have developed apps that allow people to track their health information, but these apps often can't access medical records from health providers, said Amy Gleason, acting administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Companies operating 21 networks have agreed to an "interoperability framework" to meet Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services criteria, according to the Trump administration. Hospital systems and electronic health records vendors have agreed to cooperate in the effort, according to CMS. Participating apps would help people manage obesity and diabetes, including the use of AI assistants to help check symptoms or schedule appointments, CMS said. Privacy, data security remain top worries The health care industry and tech companies have been attempting to reduce paperwork and seamlessly share electronic health records for three decades, said Chris Pierson, CEO of BlackCloak, an Orlando, Florida-based cybersecurity company. Hospitals, doctors, labs and vendors that directly handle such sensitive medical records are subject to a federal privacy law, called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. To make health information and records more portable and accessible, consumers need to be guaranteed strong privacy protections and granted control over what information is shared, Pierson said. A consumer might be willing to share their sensitive information with doctors, hospitals or labs. But the same person might want to block an app from sharing records with third parties such as exercise equipment vendors or nutritional supplement retailers. Pierson said such apps would likely still need to comply with HIPAA and other federal and state laws. Given that the apps are voluntary and require consent, they likely would comply with privacy laws, Pierson said. Companies also would need to safeguard information technology security to protect the sensitive information from data breaches. Hackers target health records Digital medical records are a popular target for hackers seeking sensitive health information, bank records and a person's identifiable information such as dates of birth and Social Security numbers. The number of attacks has surged in recent years and are often carried out by organized hackers, often operating overseas, who target the computer systems of health providers and the vendors and companies that serve them. HHS investigates whether breaches involve violations of health information privacy and security laws and publicly reports attacks that affect 500 or more on its website. In July alone, more than two dozen data breaches compromised the records of more than 3 million people, HHS records show. The largest hack in recent years involved the February 2024 attack on UnitedHealth-owned subsidiary Change Healthcare. The attack disrupted the health care industry because doctors and hospitals were unable to collect payments for weeks when computer systems went down.
