Woman details years-long battle after spider bite led to life-altering health complications

A woman says her life was permanently changed after a suspected spider bite during a vacation in Italy led to sepsis and severe complications that now restrict her ability to walk.

Julia Newton-Mercer, 43, was visiting Sardinia in October 2022 when she believes she was bitten by a venomous spider outside her hotel. At the time, she brushed it off as a minor insect bite.

“I got quite a few bites while I was over there, but I didn’t think anything of it because I always react quite badly to mosquito bites,” she recalled, according to Kennedy News and Media.

What initially seemed like a routine skin irritation later developed into a long-term medical issue. Newton-Mercer said the bite would repeatedly flare up and partially heal over the course of about a year, despite treatment attempts.

Doctors initially prescribed antibiotics, but the condition continued to return. As her symptoms worsened, she described increasing pain and visible deterioration in her leg.

“The entire back of my leg the skin was breaking down and it looked like gangrene,” she said.

The condition escalated to the point where she required frequent medical dressing changes and ongoing clinical care. Eventually, she was hospitalized in August 2023 after developing sepsis.

Newton-Mercer underwent emergency surgery, including a five-hour procedure and debridement aimed at preventing further damage to her legs.

She recalled being told the situation was life-threatening.

“Either we can try some surgery this morning or go to the mortuary this afternoon,” she said of her surgeon’s warning.

Doctors later suggested the bite may have been caused by a violin spider, also known as a brown recluse-type spider, which can cause serious tissue damage in rare cases, according to the University of Kentucky’s Department of Entomology.

Following surgery, Newton-Mercer said she temporarily lost sensation in her legs and later required additional skin graft procedures in 2024 and 2025.

Her recovery has left her with long-term mobility challenges. She said she can now only walk unaided for around 30 seconds and has had to leave her job as an embalmer.

“I can’t go out without somebody with me and it’s a completely different life,” she said.

Despite the lasting impact, Newton-Mercer says she shares her story to encourage others not to ignore unusual insect bites and to seek medical attention early.

“It’s been an experience and not one I’d wish on anyone,” she said. “If you’ve got a bite you’re not happy with, keep getting it checked out and keep going back.”