Georgie Henley: Actress reveals she had flesh-eating infection and shares scar photo to speak out about visibility
Actress Georgie Henley has revealed she suffered from a rare flesh-eating infection as a teenager and published a photo of her scars.
The 27-year-old British actress, who rose to fame as a child playing Lucy Pevensie in the The Chronicles Of Narnia film series, said contracting necrotising fasciitis when she was 18 almost cost her her life.
In a lengthy post on social media, Henley said that after years of covering up while working she finally feels ready to speak out and show her scars are “nothing to be ashamed of”.
In a post to her 376,000 followers on Instagram, as well as on Twitter, the star said: “When I was eighteen years old and in my sixth week of university, I contracted necrotising fasciitis, a rare and punishing infection that nearly claimed my life and wrought havoc throughout my body.
“In order to prevent the amputation of my left hand and arm I received gruelling invasive surgery, and later extensive reconstructive surgery which resulted in a series of skin grafts and scars.
“It has taken me a long time to heal both physically and mentally but I hoped that one day there would be the right time to talk about what happened. Today is a start.”
Necrotising fasciitis is also known as the “flesh-eating bug”, according to the NHS – a rare and life-threatening infection that can happen if a wound gets infected. It needs to be treated in hospital urgently.
Henley said that while she had been open about her scars in her personal life, in a professional context, working in the entertainment industry, she had hidden them “entirely… wearing bandages or coverings, make-up on set and stage, long sleeves whenever I might be photographed, trousers so I could put my hand in a pocket”.
‘I’m proud to be a person who has visible scars in this industry’
“The industry I am part of often focuses on a very narrow idea of what is deemed aesthetic ‘perfection’, and I worried that my scars would prevent me from getting work. The truth is there is no such thing as ‘perfection’, but I have still lived with the shame of feeling different, exacerbated by the expectations that came with beginning my career at a young age.
“But my scars are not something to be ashamed of. They are a map of the pain my body has endured, and most importantly a reminder of my survival. They do not affect my capacity as an actor, and I’m proud to be a person who has visible scars in this industry.”
Henley rose to fame alongside Ben Barnes in The Chronicles Of Narnia series. Pic: AP
Henley, who studied English at Clare College, Cambridge, and recently appeared on screen in The Spanish Princess series, thanked Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge and her friends, family and colleagues for their support over the years.
“I’m sure I will talk more about my experiences in the future but today I am simply happy to feel, for the first time in a very long time, finally free,” she said.
Thousands of Instagram users responded to her post, including The Crown star Emma Corrin, who wrote: “Love you geo.”
Nadia Parkes, Henley’s The Spanish Princess co-star, said: “So proud of you. You are incredible. Love you xxxx.”
What is necrotising fasciitis?
The NHS says necrotising fasciitis is rare but can be fatal.
Initial symptoms can include intense pain or loss of feeling near a cut or wound, swelling of the skin around the affected area, and flu-like symptoms such as a high temperature, headache and tiredness.
Later symptoms can include sickness and diarrhoea, confusion and blotches or blisters on the skin.
Treatment can include antibiotics or surgery to remove the affected area.
“Even after successful treatment, there may be long-term changes in how your body looks and how you move or use the affected part of your body. Sometimes amputation of affected limbs is needed,” the NHS says on its website.
Birmingham band UB40 say the city’s striking bin workers and their union should “keep fighting” in their dispute over pay.
It comes as the government and the council urged them to accept a “fair and reasonable offer”.
“We’re fully on their side,” drummer Jimmy Brown told Sky News. “I think they shouldn’t give up, they should still be fighting.
“Working people shouldn’t have to take a reduction in their incomes, which is what we’re talking about here.
“We’re talking about people being paid less and it seems to me with prices going up, heating, buying food, inflation and rents going up then people need a decent wage to have a half decent life… keep going boys!”
Members of the Unite union in Birmingham earlier this month. Pic: PA
Workers joined picket lines again on Thursday, with some fearing they could be up to £600 a month worse off if they accept the terms.
“We have total utter support for the bin men and all trade unions,” said guitarist Robin Campbell.
“The other side is always going to say they’ve made a reasonable offer – the point is they’re the ones who’ve messed up, they’re the ones who’ve gone bankrupt, they’re the ones now trying to reduce the bin men’s wages.”
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Lead singer Matt Doyle told Sky News: “It’s a shame that what we’re seeing is all the images of rats and rubbish building up, that is going to happen inevitably, but we’ve just got to keep fighting through that.”
About 22,000 tonnes of rubbish accumulated on the city’s streets after a major incident was declared last month by Birmingham City Council.
Rubbish has blighted the city’s streets for weeks . Pic: PA
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Bin situation ‘pains me’ – council boss
On a visit to the city, local government minister Jim McMahon said the union and local authority should continue to meet in “good faith” and the government felt there was a deal that could be “marshalled around”.
He paid tribute to the “hundreds of workers” who have worked “around the clock” to clear the rubbish.
Read more:
Bin workers urged to accept ‘fair’ offer
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“As we stand here today, 85% of that accumulated waste has been cleared and the council have a plan in place now to make sure it doesn’t accumulate going forward,” said Mr McMahon.
Sky News understands talks are not set to resume until next week.
Trans women in British Transport Police custody will now be strip searched by male officers – not female – following Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling.
The force said it is introducing an “interim position” while it digests the Supreme Court’s decision that the definition of a “woman” under the Equality Act 2010 refers to “a biological woman and biological sex”.
A British Transport Police (BTP) Authority spokesman told Sky News: “Under previous policy, we had advised that someone with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) may be searched in accordance with their acquired sex.
“However, as an interim position while we digest today’s judgment, we have advised our officers that any same sex searches in custody are to be undertaken in accordance with the biological birth sex of the detainee.”
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In September last year, BTP, which is responsible for policing the UK’s railways and similar transport systems, published its “position” on transgender and non-binary officers carrying out strip searches.
It said officers would “only be able to search persons of the same sex on their birth or gender recognition certificate (GRC).
Officers who identified as another gender but who did not have a GRC were not allowed to, but if a trans woman had a certificate, they could strip search a female detainee.
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Gender ruling – How it happened
Strip searches involve the removal of more than a jacket, outer coat, gloves, headwear and footwear.
They “expose buttocks, genitalia and (female) breasts”, the BTP guidance says.
The Sex Matters campaign applied for a judicial review of that guidance with the High Court in December.
It said the policy “puts detainees at risk of sexual harassment and sexual assault”, and said it was a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects against torture and inhuman or degrading treatment.
Sex Matters said the policy “also puts female officers in a humiliating and dangerous position, as they may be pressured to search trans-identified men”.
Read more: NHS must stop trans people being allowed on single-sex wars
Campaigners celebrated outside the Supreme Court after Wednesday’s ruling. Pic: PA
One of the High Court judges who made Wednesday’s decision, Lord Hodge, said the ruling should not be read as “a triumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another”.
Government minister Karin Smyth told Sky News public bodies have been told to look at how equality laws are implemented following the ruling.
She said: “Obviously, public bodies have been asked to look at their own guidance.
“And we will do that very, very carefully.”
But she warned against public bodies making statements “that may alarm people”, telling them to take their time to look at their guidance.
Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chair of the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), said the ruling means there is “no confusion” now.
She said the NHS will “have to change” its 2019 policy, which says transgender patients are entitled to be accommodated on single-sex wards matching how they identify.
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