After touching a big hogweed, a woman “couldn’t physically move” and was forced to use a walking stick.
Tina Sabine, 28, of Royal Leamington Spa, had a blood clot on her spine as well.
The graphic design student’s contact with giant hogweed made walking excruciatingly painful.
Sabine was walking her dogs along a riverbank in Stratford-upon-Avon in July 2021 when she came into contact with the deadly plant sap.
The 28-year-old was “absolutely fine” when she went to bed. Sabine, on the other hand, reported she “couldn’t physically move” when she awoke with “annoying pain.”
Her fingers swelled, and her hand “blew up and was bright red.”
Sabine was transported to A&E, and doctors at Birmingham Hospital wondered if someone had spilled acid on her fingers.
She said: “I’d been walking the dogs the day before so I think I must have come into contact with it there and then touched my face. It was blistering. I was in a lot of pain.”
Sabine was unable to walk for a fortnight as she remained in hospital for more than a month.
She was forced to rely on a mobility scooter for six months.
Stratford-upon-Avon District Council looked to pinpoint the exact location of the giant hogweed.
A spokesperson said at the time: “The District Council does treat specific locations in this area in May and June – but not sure if this is the same location.
“The treatment of giant hogweed has been ongoing since 2010 and is done twice a year.
“The initial information received was that it would take seven years, but we are continuing with the treatment as we are getting new seeding from land upstream that is not treated.