A mum’s bid for an older bum nearly cost her her life when she was admitted to hospital with sepsis days after a ‘liquid BBL’ she spotted on Instagram. Laura Bassnett booked an appointment with what she thought was a reputable salon for March 16 to further enhance her bottom without surgery after dropping by the clinic on Instagram.
The 29-year-old forked out £2,000 to have a liter of fillers put into her cheeks, a treatment made popular by stars including Love Island and Towie. However, 30 minutes into the treatment, Laura began to feel unwell – claiming she fell unconscious on the bed in “excruciating pain” halfway through the appointment.
The mum left the clinic looking “drunk” and said she was “passing in and out” on the three-hour drive home. After days of agony, Laura, who lives in Derby, Derbyshire, was rushed to A&E at the Royal Derby Hospital where doctors told the mum she had sepsis.
At one stage during her hospitalisation, Laura feared she would lose a limb as she lost feeling in her left leg and was subsequently unable to walk. Laura said doctors didn’t know what filler they had injected into her bum – and were considering surgery if her symptoms didn’t improve.
Thankfully, the mum made a full recovery, but said it was an “eye-opener” to the dangers of these procedures. Laura said: “After about 30 minutes, I didn’t know what was happening to me. I actually fainted and fell unconscious.
“I turned around and felt sticky and ran away. They asked me if I could continue but my legs felt like jelly. He said ‘you did really well. You don’t have much left”. I got up and got up but the pain was excruciating, I could feel everything.
“The procedure was over and it was like I’d drunk a bottle of vodka. I couldn’t get my words out. I was holding on to my friend and could barely walk. I was sick in the car, going in and out of consciousness.”
Over the next few days, Laura was still in significant pain and was rushed to Derby Royal Hospital’s A&E after the distress became too much. Laura said: “I walked through the door and I practically collapsed, I went straight through. My heart rate was going to 140 bpm, my temperature was 39.8 degrees.
“The counselor looked at my bum and it was really hot on one side. They ran some blood tests and put me straight on an antibiotic drip. Then on the second day, they told me I had sepsis.
“I thought I was going to die. It was so selfish and stupid at the time, but I asked, ‘Are you going to have to take this filler out?’ Is that the worst case scenario?” And the doctor said “no Laura, the worst case scenario is that you could die.”
Doctors told Laura they could not dissolve the filler and suggested surgery if her condition continued to worsen. Things took a turn for the worse as Laura then lost feeling in her left leg, prompting doctors to say her blood supply had been cut off – and she could face amputation.
Laura said: “I couldn’t move my leg. I couldn’t walk. They said we need an urgent MRI to check the blood circulation in your leg. I said ‘am I going to lose my leg?’ They said ‘obviously we will do everything we can to prevent this from happening.”
“Luckily the MRI came back clear and it was actually the swelling pressing on my nerves that was limiting the movement in my legs. That was scary.”
Laura was discharged from hospital after a week’s admission – commenting that the experience made her feel lucky to be alive. Laura said: “This really opened my eyes. I thought I was safe to have a non-surgical procedure. My boys could have lost their mum. I feel lucky to be alive.
“I thought I would never be able to walk down or lose my leg. If I hadn’t gone to the hospital when I did, it could have been a different story. I regret it – I would never do it again. I knew what I know now, I would never have done it, I tell the girls it’s not worth risking your life.”
