‘It can happen to anyone’: Portstewart student’s MRSA battle highlights growing AMR crisis

Amy Symington

As the world marks World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) next week, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is shining a light on the very real and often devastating consequences of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

At the centre of this year’s message is the powerful experience of 21-year-old Portstewart woman Amy Symington, whose life was upended when a seemingly minor hip pain evolved into a life-threatening infection resistant to common antibiotics.

For Amy, a former Coleraine Grammar School pupil and talented hockey player who represented Ulster Hockey at U16 level, fitness and wellbeing were always part of everyday life. But earlier this year, everything changed.

“I am 21 years old and currently in my second year of studying pharmacy in Manchester,” Amy explained.

“I have always been really active – growing up, hockey was my passion and I continued to play at university. In February 2024 I got a pain in my hip, which I initially thought nothing of. I thought if I just took some paracetamol it would pass, but it didn’t.

“It gradually got worse and worse and eventually got to the point where I couldn’t walk or put any weight on it due to the pain.”

Unable to manage the pain, Amy flew home where her parents met her at the airport and rushed her straight to hospital. “From there things progressed quite quickly,” she said.

“I got blood tests and CT scans, and that showed that I had an abscess in my hip.”

What followed was every patient’s worst fear.

“The abscess became septic and then it came back that it was MRSA which stands for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus,” Amy recalled. “It is a type of bacteria that usually lives harmlessly on the skin. However, if it gets inside the body it can be dangerous.”

For Amy, the diagnosis was both unexpected and terrifying.

“It was scary to hear that I had MRSA, I had no idea where it even came from. I spent around four weeks in hospital, trying lots of different antibiotics as it can be difficult to treat and not killed by some of the common antibiotics.”

After weeks of treatment, Amy then faced a long recovery.

“After that I needed rehabilitation. I had to start to build myself back up and learn how to walk again,” she said.

The impact on her life remains profound.

“It’s definitely been a really frightening experience and one that’s taken a big toll on my life. But thankfully now I’ve kept well over the last year and been able to get back to Manchester and return to my studies, but unfortunately, I haven’t been able to fully get back into sport again.

“The infection has left me with joint problems that still continue to give me bother, but I’m just so grateful to everyone at the Royal Victoria Hospital who helped me to still be here today.”

Amy’s story underscores a critical message: antimicrobial resistance is not a distant or abstract threat – it is happening now, affecting healthy people, and putting lives at risk.

Bronagh McBrien, AMR Programme Manager at the PHA, said:

“Anyone can get an antimicrobial resistant infection, even if you have never had an antibiotic yourself.

“Antimicrobial resistant infections are created when antibiotics are not used correctly and the bacteria they were designed to treat evolve over time and become resistant to antibiotics. We are all at risk of becoming infected with bacteria that are resistant, as happened to Amy.

“We can’t see these changes happening so it’s easy for people not to think about it, as it is invisible. But when infections such as MRSA are no longer affected by antibiotics, they can become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of spread, severe illness, disability and death.

“Prior to her infection Amy was a fit, healthy and very active young women – if this can happen to her, it can happen to anyone. We all have a part to play in protecting antibiotics.”

Professor Cathy Harrison, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer at the Department of Health, added:

“Antibiotics are now becoming less effective due to antibiotic resistance, and it is vital that we all take action now to keep antibiotics working for the future.

“Antibiotics do not work against viral infections such as colds and flu. Your local community pharmacist can provide advice and appropriate treatment to help you feel better, without the need for a GP appointment.

“If you are prescribed an antibiotic, follow the directions for use carefully and always remember to complete the full recommended course.

“Any unused antibiotics should be returned to a community pharmacy for safe disposal. Attempting to dispose of antibiotics at home can contribute to pharmaceutical pollution of our waterways and further antibiotic resistance.”

How you can help limit antimicrobial resistance:

• Ask your pharmacist about over-the-counter remedies for common symptoms – most simple infections clear up on their own.

• Don’t expect antibiotics for minor ailments.

• If prescribed antibiotics, take them exactly as directed.

• Return unused antibiotics to a pharmacy.

• Never share antibiotics or take ones not prescribed for you – including for pets.

• Wash your hands regularly and keep vaccinations up to date.

Amy’s story is a reminder that AMR is not just a medical issue – it is a human one. As she said herself:

“AMR has been the greatest threat to my life.”