In March 2008, Katie Piper‘s life changed forever, as she was subjected to a horrific acid attack, causing blindness in her left eye and major damage to her face, neck, chest and upper arms.
The following year, the model bravely gave up her right to anonymity in the hope of increasing awareness about burns victims.
Katie – who is on The Weakest Link today (March 1) – has brought the public along on her ongoing medical journey, which has involved more than 250 operations, countless skin grafts and, now, the removal of her eye.
Here, we’re taking a look at what brave Katie has had to endure over the years…
What happened to Katie Piper?
Katie, 41, a popular Loose Women panelist, was scarred for life after ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch ordered a man – named Stefan Sylvestre – to throw acid over the star in March 2008.
Sylvestre was given a life sentence, with a minimum term of six years, in 2009. He was released on licence in 2018. Lynch, meanwhile, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years in May 2009.
At the time, the judge said the pair “planned and then executed an act of pure, calculated and deliberate evil”.
Katie said that, following the attack, she had been given a life sentence. She also admitting turning to drink following the attack, admitting that she almost “destroyed herself”.
Now a mum of two, trailblazing Katie has made it her mission to raise awareness and support for burns victims. She’s made documentaries, written booked, been awarded an OBE and set up her own charitable foundation.
Katie Piper had pioneering surgery after acid attack
Immediately following the attack, Katie received treatment at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. In a first-of-its-kind operation, surgeons completely removed the skin off her face. They replaced it with a skin substitute as a foundation for a skin graft. The procedure involved eight surgeons operating for six hours. Her entire face was then reconstructed using skin from other parts of her body such as her back.
“My face is made out of a cow!” Katie has since explained in a podcast appearance. She added: “This foundation is made from collagen and elastin taken from a cow.”
In her documentary, Katie: My Beautiful Face, the star revealed that in the first four years following her attack alone, she underwent 109 operations. During her recovery, she was required to travel to France, because she required specialist treatment not available in the UK.
As part of her charitable work with her Katie Piper Foundation, the activist has campaigned for the specialist treatment she received abroad to be more widely available.
Strictly Come Dancing appearance
In 2018, Katie signed up to appear on BBC dance series Strictly Come Dancing.
At a press conference, she revealed: “I mean I’ve got some injuries that might make it a little more difficult but I don’t think it’d hold me back. I’ve lived with extensive injuries for 10 years.”
During training, Katie said that she struggled to rehearse with dance partner Gorka Marquez. She said it was challenging as she struggled to see him demonstrate the moves. “‘It was hard adapting,” she said.
Following horrific trolling over her appearance after dancing on the show, Katie struggled with her mental health.
She admitted: “In week one of Strictly, I got myself into a bit of a dark place. I remember standing on the balcony, making unhealthy comparisons about things and just telling myself again and again: ‘No, don’t do this to yourself.'”
She then added: “I tried to show the real me on Strictly. I was really determined to show people that my injuries wouldn’t stop me from doing a show like this.”
Katie Piper on secret sepsis battle
In 2019, Katie was hospitalised for two weeks after secretly battling sepsis as a result of a kidney infection.
After she was discharged, Katie opened up about the life-threatening illness. She also shared how she failed to spot the seriousness of her symptoms.
She told her Instagram fans: “I had a kidney infection that spread to my blood leaving me being treated for sepsis. It’s been a pretty rough time. But I’m so happy to finally feel better, extremely grateful to all the NHS staff who helped me fight this infection. We are so lucky to have this system,” she added.
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Emergency surgery after after choking on food
In 2021, Katie revealed she had been rushed to hospital after choking on some food. Once she was admitted, she had to have an emergency procedure on her oesophagus.
She told fans she couldn’t swallow on her own saliva after her oesophagus closed up.
On Instagram, shared further details. Katie revealed that her issues are due to scar tissue that has grown on her her oesophagus after she swallowed some of the acid thrown at her in the horror attack.
She shared: “I’ve got a long history of treatment with my oesophagus, I’ve got three strictures of tight scar tissue from what happened previously. This is something I’ve been aware of but hasn’t happened in years.
“The procedure went very well and I just ate ice cream which felt heavenly! Huge thank you to the NHS doctors and nurses that did she an incredible job and were so attentive.”
Hair transplant
Katie also previously opened up about her “empowering hair transplant” after the life-changing acid attack. On Loose Women in 2022, Katie and her co-stars were discussing whether hair transplants are a suitable Christmas gift.
My hair transplant was really empowering for me.
“Because I lost my hair through an act of violence, my hair transplant was really empowering for me to say, I’m bringing it back on my terms,” Katie said. She added: “On the back of my head I have a panel the size of a post box of skin and hair removed.”
Katie continued: “You have stitches in the back of your head. You lie there for 13 hours, you have every individual hair done. There’s a lot of downtime.”
She then showed off the results of her hair transplant on the ITV daytime show.
Katie gets artificial eye
Two years ago, Katie revealed that she had made the difficult decision to have her eye sewn shut, after developing a hole in it. Doctors decided to sew it shut to give it the “optimal chance to heal”, Katie said.
At the time, appearing on Loose Women, she shared: “It’s been quite painful so it’s quite a relief for me to finally have it stitched up, because it’s a lot more comfortable. And it’s not permanent. It’s probably going to be just about a year like this and then hopefully I can have it opened again.”
However, earlier this year, 16 years on from her acid attack, Katie shared that she had started the journey to getting a prosthetic eye. She told her Loose Women: “I’ve had quite a lot of problems with my eye in the last year and a half. I don’t like to go on about it because there’s always somebody worse off…”
Sharing the decision to opt for a prosthetic eye shell, Katie said: “After many years battling with my eye health, I’ve reached the end of road somewhat, and the decision has been made to try a prosthetic eye shell.”
She also showed the shell being fitted in a candid Instagram video.
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An inspiring woman, who faces every challenge she’s handed head-on, with grace, beauty and dignity. Sending Katie love and success with the next stage in her medical journey.
Watch Katie on The Weakest Link on Saturday (March 1) at 7:45pm on BBC One.
Read more: Katie Piper’s acid attacker gets parole hearing 16 years after being jailed for life
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