Image: Lauren Petrozza
An unfortunate interaction with poison ivy resulted in the hospitalization of an unrecognizable Newington, Connecticut woman last week and unexpected viral fame.
This wasn’t Emily Petrozza’s first reaction to poison ivy, but it is certainly the worst. The rash started on her arm; she wasn’t sure where she got it from, but she said her and a friend fished together and take care of feral cats. She wasn’t too concerned.
Petrozza noticed tiny red bumps on her eyes on the night of June 12. She woke up the next morning and was unable to open her eyes because her face was so swollen.
Image: Lauren Petrozza
“I didn’t recognize myself,” she said. “I could see a little bit but my eyes were so swollen that it hurt to keep them open.”
After sending out some texts to friends, she found someone to take her to a clinic. While waiting for the doctor, her friend sent a picture to Petrozza’s younger sister, Lauren, who subsequently Tweeted it out.
Being a younger sibling, it’s not surprising Lauren posted the picture on Twitter with the caption, “DONT GET POISON IVY ON YOUR EYES,” but it is surprising just how much attention it got – it’s been retweeted over 38k times and received 65k likes as of today.
Luckily for Emily, she bounced back pretty quick after getting some medication. As of last Tuesday, the swelling was almost completely gone and she could open her eyes.
Image: Lauren Petrozza
the aftermath @emtots pic.twitter.com/ny3vRdvf5Y
— Rachel (@raachelds) June 14, 2016
