A woman had to have her stomach and esophagus removed after accidentally swallowing oven cleaner served to her at a restaurant after she had requested vinegar to treat her hiccups.
Following years after the actual incident took place at The Point restaurant in Gold Coast, Australia, Amanda Merrifield has opened up about the struggles she has been facing ever since ingesting oven cleaner she believed to be vinegar.
As the 46-year-old mother explained, it was the year 2013 when she was at the restaurant and asked the staff to get her some vinegar so that she could use it as a remedy for her hiccups.
Rather than being served vinegar, however, Amanda was given a spoonful of oven cleaner that had allegedly been mistaken for vinegar due to being stored in a similar bottle.
Without a second doubt, the mother swallowed the oven cleaner and immediately collapsed due to suffering excruciating pain.
As the Courier Mail has now reported, Amanda was forced to undergo over 80 surgeries throughout seven years of medical complications and pain caused by the mishap at the restaurant.
“After the first two months in hospital I was on the operating table every week for months, and then every two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, trying to save my esophagus,” the 46-year-old recalled.
Despite all the attempts, however, the mother was forced to have her stomach and esophagus removed due to the injuries caused by the harsh chemicals found in the oven cleaner.
Besides being forced into a habit of consuming medications and using injections just to stay alive, Amanda has also lost her chance of realizing her dream of becoming a lawyer.
“Mentally and physically, it’s broken me,” she admitted.
While several insurance agencies, including the restaurant’s insurer, have helped Amanda and her family deal with medical expenses, the family is allegedly having a hard time getting by when it comes to finances.
Following the 2013 incident, the restaurant was sold to a new owner and now goes under a new name.
According to the reports, no one has been charged in association with the mistake that has changed Amanda’s life forever.
Replaced!