Nothing will ruin a summer vacation faster than an unexpected illness. The Gulliver family thought their trip to Egypt would be nothing but fun and sunshine, but they quickly discovered that even five-star hotels can harbor something that is known to be quite deadly. In fact, the hotel’s in-house salon and spa was actually charging money to provide this lethal service.
What was supposed to be a relaxing family vacation took a scary turn, when their little girl mysteriously fell ill shortly after a visit to the salon. Although it took a few days for it to fester and grow underneath her skin, what erupted out of Madison Gulliver’s right arm left doctors back home speechless.
Sadly, the lingering affects of Madison’s illness will permanently scar her for the rest of her life – as in, the “don’t stare because it’s not polite” kind of scars. It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime for 7-year-old Madison, but now her scars serve as a permanent reminder of what not to do on vacation – or anywhere else on the planet, for that matter.
Not surprisingly, Madison’s parents have since regretted their decision to treat their daughter to a tattoo at the hotel’s salon. They want this eye-opening experience to serve as a warning to other parents.
Now, before you judge the Gulliver’s for “tattooing” a child, keep in mind that it wasn’t a real tattoo with sharp needles that penetrate the skin. It was supposed to be a topical stain that lasts anywhere from one to three weeks before it fades away.
Normally, this type of tattoo is quite harmless… So, why was poor Madison suffering with agonizing pain and endless tears?
Henna tattoos have been around for centuries, and they’re traditionally applied to the hands and forearms in beautifully intricate patterns. Henna itself is a non-permanent dye that’s made from the dried leaves of the henna plant.
It’s 100% nature-made, and no more dangerous than the spinach in your salad. But, when Madison’s henna tattoo formed itchy, raised blisters on her forearm, according to Metro – her parents became increasingly worried about its supposedly “natural” origins.
Unfortunately, doctors misdiagnosed the girl’s condition and the only treatment she received was a prescription for steroid creams. That had absolutely no effect, and as the blisters continued to swell in size, so did poor Madison’s pain.
After a mysterious black substance began to ooze out of the girl’s wounds, doctors finally realized what they were dealing with. Madison was immediately rushed to the emergency room for chemical burns!
True henna isn’t dangerous, but “black henna” is a toxic soup of chemicals that contains high levels of paraphenylenediamine, also known as PPD. Although the Gulliver’s wouldn’t have been aware of the difference at the time, the hotel’s salon had actually used black henna on Madison arm.
PPD is a highly allergenic chemical that can lead to anaphylactic shock and death. It’s also a suspected carcinogen, and is illegal in many countries for use on the skin. When PPD began to seep out of Madison’s blisters, doctors tested it and confirmed that it was the cause of her chemical burns.
Had the Gulliver’s known of the dangers beforehand, they certainly never would have agreed to let Madison get a tattoo. However, when interviewed by Metro, dad Martin said the hotel vehemently denied that black henna was the cause of Madison’s woes:
“The tattoo was done in the hotel’s salon and they claim it’s not the henna and that it’s my daughters skin. She has blisters from her finger to her elbow and is in so much pain. We were entirely unaware of the dangers and I think they should warn of this in the brochures.”
Martin wasn’t about to give up, and he informed the hotel that he wasn’t seeking compensation – he just wanted them to stop using dangerous chemicals on children. Although the hotel never accepted blame in the matter, thankfully they quietly agreed to stop offering henna tattoos in their salon.
Watch the video to find out more about this little girl’s agonizing journey.
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