A student rower claims capsizing her boat in 'dirty' river water has left her with a stomach condition that saw her vomit up to 40 times a day and unable to eat a meal for almost two years. Kira Roberts was rowing with two friends in December 2020 when her boat rolled over and she tumbled into the water.
The 23-year-old says she wasn't worried as she'd fallen out of the boat many times before, so she hopped back in and continued rowing before going home for a shower. But days later, when she became dizzy and started to vomit, she went to A&E where she spent a week in hospital while puzzled medics tried to work out the cause. Blood tests eventually revealed that self-professed 'unlucky' Kira was suffering with glandular fever and viral hepatitis, which doctors believed she picked up from 'contaminated' water.
In July this year the psychology student was diagnosed with gastroparesis, a long-term chronic condition where the stomach cannot empty in the normal way. The condition means that every time Kira eats she vomits, causing her weight to plummet from 11.4st to 7st.
