A Barnsley woman whose mother succumbed to rabies following a holiday incident has launched a fundraising campaign to support anti-rabies efforts in Cambodia.
Robyn Thomson, 32, aims to collect £4,000 to participate in a volunteer programme with Mission Rabies this October.
The neonatal nurse's initiative follows the death of her mother, Yvonne Ford, who passed away in June after contracting the disease from a puppy scratch in Morocco.
Thomson plans to join vaccination drives and educational programmes in Cambodia to help prevent similar fatalities.
Yvonne encountered the animal while holidaying with her husband
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"If I can save even one life through this work, or spare one family from going through the pain we have experienced, then it will be turning a terrible negative into something positive," Thomson stated on her fundraising page.
The 59-year-old grandmother from Barnsley encountered the animal while holidaying with her husband at a Moroccan resort in February. The incident occurred on a private beach adjacent to their hotel, where a small stray puppy resting beneath Ford's sunbed scratched her leg.
The injury appeared insignificant, drawing no blood and showing no signs of infection. The puppy displayed no obvious illness, leading the couple to dismiss the encounter as harmless.
Ford returned to Britain without seeking medical attention for the scratch. She resumed normal activities, including a family trip to Florida and fishing excursions with her husband.
The fatal consequences of the February incident would not manifest until four months later, when Ford began experiencing severe headaches in June.
The disease progressed rapidly once symptoms emerged. Ford experienced severe neurological deterioration, losing her ability to walk, speak and sleep.
She developed hallucinations and hydrophobia, a characteristic symptom of rabies involving an intense fear of water.
Her condition worsened as she struggled to swallow and began choking on her own saliva. Medical staff at Barnsley Hospital initially treated her before transferring her to Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield.
"She was hallucinating and had a fear of water. She couldn't swallow. She was choking on her own saliva," Thomson recalled of her mother's final days.
Doctors placed Ford in an induced coma while investigating her condition. The rabies diagnosis came more than a week after her hospitalisation, but by then it was too late.
Thomson described her mother as "the most loving person imaginable" with "the biggest heart", highlighting her role as a devoted grandmother and animal enthusiast. The irony of an animal lover dying from rabies struck the family particularly hard.
"She was my best friend and the most fantastic grandparent to mine and my brother's children," Thomson said.
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The disease progresses rapidly once symptoms emerge
| GETTYThe bereaved daughter has channelled her grief into preventing future tragedies through Mission Rabies, which conducts mass vaccination campaigns across Asia and Africa.
The charity strives to immunise 70 per cent of dog populations to establish herd immunity.
Thomson's October mission will involve vaccinating dogs, supporting disease surveillance and teaching children to identify rabid animals.
Her GoFundMe campaign seeks donations to cover travel expenses, accommodation and project fees for the volunteering programme.