Trinity Peterson-Mayes, a 24-year-old from Arizona and a two-time childhood cancer survivor, is now facing a life-threatening illness from a rare toxin linked to a meal with friends.
Who is Trinity Peterson-Mayes?
Diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer at just 2 months old, Trinity fought and won that battle. At age 11, she faced an aggressive form of bone cancer and overcame it again.
Last month, during a casual gathering, Trinity and five friends decided to try a friend’s homemade fermented swordfish dish.
“It tasted horrible, I’m going to be so honest,” Trinity told local outlet KPNX. “It’s supposed to be healthy and I figured I might as well try, if it’s bad and I’ll just get a bad stomach ache.”
Days later, alarming symptoms set in. She struggled to swallow, even choking on a simple sip of coffee or water that went down the wrong pipe. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, leading her to seek emergency care.
She went to a local hospital and was transferred to St. Joseph’s Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute for specialized neurological care, where doctors diagnosed her with botulism.
“I woke up and I had three IVs,” Trinity told outlet. “I was intubated, I had a central line in my neck, and I had an NG [nasogastric] tube… and I just woke up and I couldn’t move at all. It was very scary. I wasn’t able to talk before. I wasn’t able to walk.”
Of the six people who sampled the fermented swordfish, three developed botulism, including Trinity. Her two affected friends have since recovered and been discharged from the hospital. Trinity, still in rehabilitation, is making steady progress and expects to be released in the coming days.
What is botulism?
Botulism is a rare but potentially fatal illness caused by a powerful neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The toxin attacks the body’s nerves, leading to difficulty breathing and muscle paralysis.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), foodborne botulism often stems from improperly preserved or fermented foods that create the low-oxygen conditions the bacteria need to thrive.
Emergency physician Dr. Frank LoVecchio told KPNX, “It causes this paralysis of your muscles, and most important being, you know, your chest muscles, those that are responsible for breathing. In the United States, there’s about two dozen cases per year on average of food botulism.”
GoFundMe launched
Trinity’s mother, Loren Amatruda, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover mounting hospital bills, ongoing rehabilitation, and living expenses during recovery.
“Recovery from botulism can take weeks to months, sometimes longer, and often requires extensive rehabilitation and therapy,” Loren wrote.
“Even through all of this, Trinity continues to show the same strength and resilience that helped her survive cancer twice as a child. She is already fighting hard every day to regain the basic abilities most of us take for granted — speaking, swallowing, and moving normally again.”