An animal lover could lose the use of her middle finger despite FIVE operations on the digit after being attacked by an injured cat - which she was just trying to help.

Scharrowne Farmer, 54, from Essex, is living with "debilitating" pain despite four operations to save the digit. 

She is due to go under the knife for a fifth time today.

Scharrowne first rushed out to help an injured cat after seeing a post about it on a local Facebook page on April 18 - which just so happened to be her birthday.

But when she attempted to help out the cat, which had been hit by a car, it bit her hand.

Scharrowne took the poor animal to the vets before returning home to enjoy her birthday, but by the evening, her finger had ballooned and her family rushed her to hospital.

She had to stay in hospital for an entire week and endured four operations on her middle finger which had become badly infected following the bite.

Self-employed animal carer Scharrowne described the pain as being on par with childbirth.

Back at home now, she is still unable to move her finger with another operation scheduled for today.

Doctors have not ruled out the possibility she could lose the ability to move it forever.

Scharrowne said: "I've been bitten by a cat before, but this really did hurt.

"By the time we got to the restaurant for my birthday, my finger had ballooned and my ring was embedding into my skin.

"When we got to the hospital, I actually passed out from the pain because it was unbearable.

"I had four operations in a week - every time the doctors did the rounds and saw it, they said it needed more surgery to get rid of the infection.

Chelmsford Weekly News: Scharrowne Farmer, 54, from Essex, is living with "debilitating" pain despite four operations to save the digit. Picture: SWNS Scharrowne Farmer, 54, from Essex, is living with "debilitating" pain despite four operations to save the digit. Picture: SWNS

"Now I'm home I'm supposed to be doing physiotherapy on that finger so I don't lose its movement but it's so painful I literally can't do it."

Animal lover Scharrowne said she immediately wanted to help after she spotted a post on her local Facebook page about a cat which had been hit by a car.

Even though it was her birthday, she rushed around the corner - and found the injured cat tucked beneath a bush.

She attempted to lift the cat with a towel several times but struggled - so eventually took a chance and grabbed him with her hands.

But just as she did, the cat span his head around and sunk his teeth into her middle finger.

Despite being in a lot of pain and her hand continuing to bleed, brave Scharrowne continued to bundle the cat up and managed to get it to the vet.

Unfortunately, the cat died soon after, due to a shattered pelvis.

But Scharrowne's nightmare birthday wasn't over - as the pain and bleeding did not subside for hours despite washing the wound.

She was struggling to enjoy her birthday meal with family due to the pain as the finger began to "balloon".

A ring was quickly becoming embedded into her skin due to how much her finger was swelling up.


<< The below image some readers may find distressing >> 


Chelmsford Weekly News: Scharrowne Farmer, 54, from Essex, is living with "debilitating" pain despite four operations to save the digit. Picture: SWNS Scharrowne Farmer, 54, from Essex, is living with "debilitating" pain despite four operations to save the digit. Picture: SWNS

She said: "My daughter noticed and told me I needed to get it looked at, so we went to the hospital.

"By the time we got there, the pain was becoming unbearable."

After being rushed to the hospital, Scharrowne woke up on the floor in A&E after passing out from the pain.

Doctors realised how severe the situation was and quickly carted her off to theatre to have her ring cut off.

She spent the next week in hospital and underwent operations to save the digit after her temperature spiked and doctors realised the wound had become infected.

She said: "Every morning the doctors would do their rounds, and they'd look at my finger and say 'we need to operate again'.

"Each time they would have to cut it open.

"I don't normally like stronger painkillers than paracetamol, but every day I was in so much pain that I was begging for anything."

She was eventually discharged on April 25 - a week after her birthday - but things didn't end there.

Despite the upcoming operation, doctors have warned her she may lose movement in her finger altogether.