The ordeal of a woman who lost her nose, lips, tongue, hands and feet after being bitten by a mongoose

A South African woman lost his nose, lips, tongue, hands and feet due to a terrible septic infection after being bitten by a mongoose, a carnivorous mammal similar to the civet.

Shaninlea Visser, 37, from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, went into a coma in 2017 when doctors amputated his limbs. The woman, who has a teenage daughter, collapsed two days after the mongoose bite and said her hands and feet felt “on fire”.

He had contracted sepsis, which is the body’s extreme response to infection. This is a life-threatening medical emergency that causes a chain reaction in the body. Without prompt treatment, it can quickly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and even death.

Yet four years after this nearly fatal infection, Shaninlea Visser continues to amaze doctors after surviving nearly 70 reconstruction operations. She has even returned to public life to tell her story and inspire others who have had bad experiences.

This month, the quadruple amputee released a documentary about her life and inaugurated its inspiring new program: The Shan show. In his first episode, Visser interviewed recovering drug addict Costa Carastavrakis, who struggled with addiction before becoming an athlete, motivational speaker, and best-selling author.

Visser said he wanted to launch a “platform where people can share their amazing stories, motivate and inspire other people.”

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The show is broadcast on various platforms on the Internet and features guests who have managed to overcome adversity to find the best version of themselves and thus be able to help inspire others.

The first season of The Shan Show will include Shannon Martins, a South African swimming star who lost her right leg in a freak accident aged 2 after a ceramic water fountain fell on her and damaged the main artery in her leg right.

The show will also star Megan Hunter, a survivor of the rare disease myasthenia gravis ambassador of Rare Disease SA; Doug Anderson, a “radio man” who suffered extensive scarring from 49 surgeries for spina bifida and started his own “Me and My Scars” campaign; Zola Brunner, media personality, storyteller and lupus survivor; and Natalie Nicholson, life coach and mental health expert.