Laura Barajas, 40, ‘nearly lost her life’ after eating fish she purchased from a local market in San Jose, California, in July.

Barajas began to feel ill just days after eating the fish, and her symptoms increased until she ended up in the hospital, where she has spent the last few months.

She underwent a life-saving procedure, including the amputation of her limbs, on Thursday (September 14).

Anna Messina, a friend of Barajas, told KRON 4: “It’s just been really heavy on all of us.” It’s dreadful. This could have impacted any of us.

“She was on the verge of dying. She was breathing through a mask. She was placed in a medically-induced coma.

“Her fingers, her feet, and her bottom lip were all black.” Her kidneys were failing, and she had full sepsis.”

“Be thankful for what we have right now,” Messina continued, “because it can be taken away so quickly and easily.”

Messina has created a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the expense of hospital bills as well as any continuing care needs.

“This family is in desperate need of our help,” she wrote on the fundraiser’s page. While Jose has health insurance through his job, it is unclear if it will cover Laura, his eight-year-old companion.

“Jose’s PTO has run out, and the Family Disability Program only provides 60 percent of his normal income.”

“The mounting hospital bills are overwhelming, and Laura’s physical condition will necessitate significant changes in their lives as they adapt to her new circumstances.”

As of this writing, the page has raised more than $50,000 (£40,000).

The illness is thought to have been caused by vibrio vulnificus, about which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a warning.

According to UCSF Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Natasha Spottiswoode, “the ways you can get infected with this bacteria are one: you can eat something that’s contaminated with it, and the other way is by having a cut or tattoo exposed to water in which this bug lives.”

According to the CDC, there are around 150 to 200 recorded instances of the virus each year, with one in every five of those cases resulting in death.

According to experts, people who are immunocompromised are most vulnerable to the virus.

“People should take sensible precautions, such as avoiding getting immersed in water if you have a cut until it’s well healed,” Dr. Spottiswoode added.

“If you have a compromised immune system, keep an eye on these things and avoid high-risk activities and foods.”