'I was going to die': Mum falls into coma with sepsis and organ failure after botched BBL
When I first contacted Sasha Dean, she was in hospital recovering from sepsis and organ failure.The 54-year-old had undergone a liquid Brazilian Butt Lift - a cosmetic procedure where dermal filler is injected into the buttocks.
She'd been told it was a risk-free, 'lunchtime' treatment. In reality, it nearly cost her life.Over the next year, I spoke to women across the UK who'd suffered complications from BBLs - from infections to permanent disfigurement.
But Sasha's story stood out. As far as I'm aware, she is the worst surviving case of a liquid BBL in the UK.At first, I had to speak to her partner, Alan, because she was too unwell. But this summer, Sasha called me. She was finally ready to share her story.What followed was one of the most difficult interviews I've ever done.
Midway through, Sasha broke down in tears. Her trauma is still raw, and the physical toll still defines her daily life.
But she spoke - not just for herself, but for the many women being lured into dangerous, unregulated procedures that promise beauty and deliver devastation.Sasha told me she'd struggled with body image for most of her life.'For me, my bum area had always been an issue. I thought: if people get filler in their lips… why not here too?'She tried workouts and body sculpting before turning to what was marketed as a 'quick, safe' fix with no downtime.
But from the moment the first injection began, she says the pain was excruciating.
Over several sessions, she still wasn't satisfied. A fourth treatment was offered - this time at home, for a discounted rate.During the procedure, she looked down and saw her feet had turned black.Two days later, an ambulance was called.Sasha had sepsis. She was placed in a coma, given just a 5% chance of survival.
'I had a heart attack. My lungs collapsed. I had pneumonia. My bowels opened. I was dying.', she said.
Alan, her partner, said it was like watching a horror film unfold.Sasha survived - but with lasting damage: PTSD, a leaking heart valve, permanent fatigue. 'I'm not who I was before,' she told me.Even after her hospitalisation, the clinic continued to advertise the treatment as 'safe.'When 26-year-old Alice Webb died after a liquid BBL in 2023, Sasha says she felt a burden of survivor's guilt.'I was asked to speak out, but I wasn't ready. I felt like I'd failed her.'
A journey from silence to change
This year, Sasha gave evidence in Parliament, calling for tighter regulation of aesthetic procedures.And she was heard.
The government has now announced a crackdown on liquid BBLs, with only qualified healthcare professionals allowed to carry them out - though most doctors refuse to perform them at all due to the risks.
It's a journey that began in hospital, but ended in a change in the law.
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