Mehgan James is spreading awareness for a tragedy that occurred in the Bahamas. The “Basketball Wives” reality star (and former “Bad Girls Club” cast member) has been posting about the horrible and unexpected amputation of a friend’s leg on TikTok. James describes the situation and how it progressed with the survivor. She also highlights the island where her friend contracted the flesh-eating bacteria.
In short, Jennifer Barlow went on a group Bahamas island trip and upon returning home, realized something was seriously wrong. The Atlanta-based model has lived through a rare flesh-eating bacteria, which was brought on by her vacation in the Bahamas.
So, What Island Did the Incident Occur On?
@supermehg #vacation #bacteria #bahamas ♬ original sound – Mehgan James
Pig Island in the Bahamas is a very popular travel destination. The famous beach is located on Big Major Cay, which is in Exuma. It is known to have crystal clear waters and unexpected beach inhabitants. A colony of feral pigs live on the island and have been known as adorable guests.
Pictures of people standing or swimming with the pigs in the turquoise waters have even become one of the most popular photo opportunities for the area. Locals do not recommend the interactions since the pigs are feral but it has become the norm for tourists who feed them and take photos. The uninhabited island is about 30 minutes away, by plane, from Nassau. The popular Pig Beach is, unfortunately, where the tragedy occurred due to flesh-eating bacteria.
How Did Barlow Lose Her Leg?
In preparation for her beach visit, Barlow opted to shave her legs. She later entered the ocean water with a small cut on her leg. The island water had flesh-eating bacteria, seemingly from the venturing swine. That small nick on her leg led to some extreme health issues, even after she returned home.
After several days and being sent home from the doctor with ibuprofen, her symptoms worsened. Eventually, her leg got swollen and she went to the hospital. After some testing, her results indicated she was dealing with a flesh-eating bacteria. To save her life, Barlow made the difficult decision to have her leg amputated. She is currently in recovery and spreading the word about necrotizing fasciitis.
This is not the first time a situation like this has occurred during a visit to Pig Island. There have been women with similar small cuts on their bodies that entered the waters and contracted flesh-eating bacteria. This rare bacterial infection is the result of bacteria entering the bloodstream. The bacteria move quickly and can cause death, so Barlow and other survivors are lucky to be alive.
Safety Issues and Precautions
Do not enter unfamiliar waters after getting any cuts or wounds. Doing so can open the floodgates for a plethora of bacteria which could lead to minor and serious illness. As recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), travelers should seek medical assistance if they incur any type of irritated open wound while abroad. Of course, travelers can not completely anticipate if they are on an island with flesh-eating bacteria, but it is better to be safe than sorry.