A teenager’s life has been put on hold as she lives with an open, oozing wound in her armpit.
The 16-year-old – who we are not naming – has been forced to give up sports, cannot use deodorant or body wash and has to change her school shirts throughout the day.
The youngster from Gillingham first noticed an abscess growing under her right armpit in 2020.
Mum Jackie Punia told her to “keep an eye on it” but said: “It got to the stage, she could not put her arm down. That is when I thought she need some medical help.”
The 44-year-old called NHS 111 for advice and was told to go to Medway Maritime Hospital where medics performed surgery by making an incision to drain it.
The schoolgirl was discharged after three days and told to return every few days to have her bandages changed for around a month. She was then referred to a wound clinic to do the same and still attends every fortnight.
But after 25 months, the wound still has not healed although they were told it would only take around eight to 10 weeks.
Jackie said: “They tried every single dressing they had but months down the line we just faced facts, this is not getting better and I did not think it was going to. They had exhausted every dressing they had.
It needs to have its bandages changed every few weeks. Picture: Jackie Punia
“I just thought what has gone wrong, what has happened. This should have healed. It was causing not only physical but mental stress to my daughter.
“The wound oozes quite a lot through her clothing meaning getting dressed in front of people is embarrassing. I have lost count of how many school shirts we have been through the last couple of years because of it.
“General things like PE, swimming, any sort of activity that she likes, it has stopped her doing it. It is pain in the backside.
“She does not moan about anything but she is concerned and asking if she is going to lose her arm. I am trying to re-assure her, tell her it is going to be fine and that we have done everything right.
“I cannot even re-assure her any more, it has gone on too long. I do not know if it is really going to get better.
“It is heartbreaking to see my daughter go through this. I cannot believe it has come to this. I am heartbroken but I have to be strong for her. I feel useless that I cannot do anything for her.”
The girl has been attending a wound clinic at the Healthy Living Centre. Picture: Steve Crispe
The mother and daughter were advised by the clinic to try and contact the surgeon for advice but was told they had left.
They then got back in touch with their GP at the Healthy Living Centre at Balmoral Gardens where they asked for an ultra-sound and referral to a dermatologist who in turn sent them to East Grinstead hospital where an MRI scan found the wound had filled with puss.
Jackie added: “I feel like she has lost a lot of education due to this as she had to have time off for it to heal and with the oozing she has been in pain and cannot go to school.
“She has had quite a lot of absences but she cannot control it. She had paracetamol with her all the time. It does hurt her.”
The mum said the wound does control what her daughter does as she worries about the effect it could have on her arm and says she cannot use deodorant or body washes in fear of aggravation.
She added: “It really, really has stopped her from doing what she wants. She loved going to sleep over at her cousins’ house but now she wants to come home as she does not feel comfortable.”
The wound has not healed after 18 months. Picture: Jackie Punia
The 16-year-old has now been referred to St Thomas Hospital in London and is waiting for another operation.
Jackie said: “When you have trust professionals you do not expect this to happen. Why it is not healing we just do not understand. It has been like a nightmare.
“I am really, really fed up and disappointed. I have been trying to keep it together in front of her but when I am away from her it is really hard.
“I feel frustrated that is has taken this long and we still do no have any answers.”
She had surgery at Medway hospital two years ago
The mum has expressed her concerns over the care her daughter originally received at Medway hospital and said she feels disappointed as she had to chase them for follow up appointments.
The trust’s chief executive Dr George Findlay said: “We are sorry to hear Ms Punia is unhappy with the care her daughter received.
“We carried out a thorough investigation in order to address all of the concerns raised when she contacted us last September and wrote to her with the outcome of our findings in October. Conversations are ongoing with Ms Punia after she contacted the trust again earlier this month.”
Health Kent Medway Alex Langridge
