A young cancer survivor was hospitalized with a rare, life-threatening condition after a seemingly harmless dinner with friends.
24-year-old Trinity Peterson-Mayes began struggling to swallow, speak, and move following the meal.
“Within 24 hours, I went from struggling to drink water to being unable to drink anything at all,” Peterson-Mayes told Arizona news outlet KPNX.
The situation turned critical when she violently choked on a sip of coffee, prompting her to seek emergency medical care.
After sharing a meal with friends last month, 24-year-old Trinity Peterson-Mayes suddenly found herself unable to swallow, speak, or move.
The culprit? Fermented swordfish.
“It tasted horrible, I’m going to be so honest,” Peterson-Mayes admitted. “I thought it might be healthy, so I tried it. I figured if it was bad, I’d just get a stomachache.”
Tragically, the dish led to a diagnosis of botulism, a rare but serious illness caused by bacteria-produced toxins that attack the nervous system. Botulism can block communication between nerves and muscles, potentially causing respiratory failure, paralysis, and even death if not treated quickly with antitoxin.
Symptoms of botulism typically appear within 12 to 36 hours and can include dizziness, blurred or double vision, trouble speaking or swallowing, muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, abdominal bloating, and constipation. While cases are rare, the condition carries a high mortality rate without prompt medical intervention—fatal in 5 to 10% of cases, according to the World Health Organization.
Peterson-Mayes’ symptoms worsened rapidly after hospital admission. She could no longer swallow her saliva, and her facial muscles weakened. She was transferred to St. Joseph’s Medical Center and the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix for specialized neurological care. As the toxin spread, her condition deteriorated further, requiring a ventilator to support her breathing.
Peterson-Mayes’ mother, Loren, has launched a GoFundMe to help cover her daughter’s medical expenses and daily living costs during recovery.
“I woke up with three IVs, intubated, a central line in my neck, and I couldn’t move at all,” Peterson-Mayes recalled. “It was terrifying. I couldn’t talk or walk.”
Thanks to a life-saving antitoxin, she is now slowly recovering. Because botulism impairs nerve function, the body must gradually rebuild nerve connections before muscles regain strength.
Of the five friends who shared the contaminated fish, two also developed botulism. While her friends have already been released from the hospital, Peterson-Mayes expects to be discharged within the coming week. She cautions, however, that it may take months before she feels fully normal again.
