Dog walker’s face swells up to TWICE its normal size and she is covered with boils and blisters after accidentally brushing against Giant Hogweed

• WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT 
• Christina Sabine, 26, brushed into a toxic  Giant Hogweed plant in Warwickshire
• Her face swelled up to twice its normal size and was covered in painful boils
• Three months after her ordeal she was still in pain and almost unable to walk

A dog walker’s face swelled to twice its usual size and was covered in enormous boils after she accidentally brushed against a toxic plant.

Christina Sabine, 26, from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, woke to find her skin blistered ‘like it had been doused with acid’.

The amateur artist said she was in so much pain she couldn’t walk and was rushed to hospital for treatment.

Doctors said she most likely brushed against the toxic plant Giant Hogweed while walking her two dogs, Mocha and Latte.

Three months on she said she was still in agony and remained barely able to walk or use her hands.

Christina Sabine, 26, from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, pictured after her face swelled to twice its usual size and she had skin blistered ‘like it had been doused with acid’ because she brushed into a Giant Hogweed

Christina had been walking her dogs Mocha and Latte when the toxic plant touched her skin. Her face swelled to twice its usual size and boils and blisters appeared on her skin

Christina pictured on the morning before her Giant Hogweed ordeal in Warwickshire began

She said: ‘I woke up and saw myself in the mirror.

‘My face had swollen and all my skin had blistered and I looked like I was the victim of an acid attack.

‘My whole body was in too much pain to even move. 

‘I even questioned calling 999 because I thought it might be life-threatening.

‘At this point I had no idea why, and when someone said it looked like it was caused by Giant Hogweed, I had no idea what they were on about.

‘When I did some research, it made total sense because I walk past the plants loads when I walk my dogs, but I never knew they were poisonous.

The amateur artist said she was in so much pain she couldn’t walk and was rushed to hospital for treatment

She said: ‘Months on, I’m still feeling the impacts. ‘I’m in pain every day and I can’t use my hand properly because it’s still too painful’

Doctors quickly treated her hands for the boils and blisters caused by the toxic plant. She added: ‘I want to make people aware because it can be so dangerous and it could have been so much worse if it had been a child instead of me’

‘Now months on, I’m still feeling the impacts.

‘I’m in pain every day and I can’t use my hand properly because it’s still too painful.

‘I want to make people aware because it can be so dangerous and it could have been so much worse if it had been a child instead of me.’

She added: ‘It shouldn’t be allowed to grow in public spaces – and if it does, people should see it and know to stay away.’ 

Christina was on a public pathway along the river Avon into Stratford town centre with her two dogs when she encountered the Giant Hogweed

Christina was on a public pathway along the river Avon into Stratford town centre when she encountered the Giant Hogweed.

She had no idea until she woke up the following morning, July 24, with swelling, blistering and boils on her hands, back, fingers, neck and legs.

She said: ‘I couldn’t walk for the pain – everything was red, swollen and blistered.

‘There were big orange balls of pus on my hands and my skin was red – I looked like I’d dipped my hand in acid.’

She went to Warwick Hospital and was transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, for treatment.  

After her ordeal she lodged a complaint with Stratford District Council.

The council declined to comment while investigations are ongoing. 

What is Giant Hogweed? 

Giant Hogweed plant 

 Giant Hogweed is a non-native species to the UK.

It was first introduced to the UK as an ornamental plant in the 19th century after being discovered in the Caucasus Mountains and Central Asia.

The plant escaped and naturalised in the wild and can now be found throughout much of the UK – especially on river banks as its seeds are transported by the water. 

It has been spreading uncontrollably across Scotland for decades, producing up to 50,000 seeds which can survive for many years. 

But the sap of the weed, which looks like a giant version of the harmless plant cow parsley, is extremely toxic to humans and animals, causing horrific burns on the skin.

The skin remains sensitive to UV light for many years – and can even cause blindness if near the eyes.

Every year, thousands of people, including children and pets, suffer life-changing injuries from Giant Hogweed after accidentally coming into contact with it out in the wild.

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