Girl, 3, almost died from sepsis after being bitten by a cat in the park
A TODDLER almost died from sepsis after her arms were ripped apart by a razor clawed tabby.
Little Evie Phillips-Godfrey, 3, was out for a stroll in a park near her home in Yate, South Gloucs, with her mum Steph Phillips when she reached out to stroke the cat.
But it suddenly sank its sharp teeth into her left arm as Evie desperately tried to shake it off.
After being rushed to A&E to have her wounds dressed, Evie developed a soaring temperature of 40.8 degrees and was readmitted to hospital where medics told her worried mum she had developed sepsis.
Shaken, Steph, 34, told The Sun: “I was with Evie in the park just taking her for a stroll and she saw a ginger cat.
“It didn’t seem unfriendly and was purring at her.
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"She joked that it was a ginger lion and went over to stroke it.
“She reached out and suddenly the cat just jumped up out of nowhere and latched itself onto Evie’s arm and bit her.
“Evie screamed and tried to shake the cat off before it finally came loose.
"She was holding her arm and you could see the puncture marks.
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"It didn’t seem that serious but I wanted to get it seen to.”
Steph then rushed Evie to a minor injuries unit to get the wound patched up.
She said: “I took her they to get it cleaned they gave her antibiotics and cleaned and dressed her wounds we came home.
“She was incredibly brave and kept saying she’d be better and was annoyed that the lion had bitten her.”
CONDITION WORSENED
But that night the tot’s condition suddenly worsened as her temperature sored and she was rushed back to hospital by her worried
Step said: “We got home from the hospital and Evie seemed alright.
But that night she woke up screaming.
“I went into her room and she looked red all over so I put my hand against her face and she was boiling.
"I gave her some Calpol and took her temperature which was 40.8 degrees.
“I rushed her to hospital and doctor’s said she needed an x-ray. It was then that they decided to operate.”
Doctors realised that Evie’s wound was dangerously infected and that she was developing sepsis - with her arm left turning red.
Surgeons performed two operations on little Evie to clean the wound and kill the infection.
Steph added: “She had to have two different operations to clean the wound properly and prevent further infection.
SEPTIC SHOCK
“Her arm was going bright red because of the sepsis, it was very, very scary.
“The cat bite clearly infected her and her body reacted by going into a very strong septic shock.”
Evie spent around five nights in hospital and is now recovering at home with her mum and three sisters and brothers.
Steph is now urging parents to be vigilant about letting their children approach cats.
She said: “They don’t seem dangerous but Evie nearly died, it was awful.
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“Even if they seem cute and fluffy maybe think twice about letting your children approach them.
“Her wound didn’t seem that bad but I wouldn’t dream of anyone else going through the same thing.”
