June 26th 2023.
Bela Chatwin, 21, was horrified when she found out she had developed severe sun poisoning after falling asleep on the beach in San Diego, California. When she woke up, her face had swollen so badly that her three-year-old sister didn't recognise her.
Bela, an interior design assistant, was normally very diligent about putting on sunscreen but admitted she had fallen asleep accidentally and hadn't woken up for five hours. The day was cloudy and not particularly hot, making her think her skin would be safe.
A doctor told Bela she had the worst case of sun poisoning he'd ever seen. It was so bad that strangers were asking her what was wrong, and she could barely open her eyes. Blisters were popping up all over her skin and she was vomiting several times a day.
Fortunately, she was able to recover after three weeks of steroid-based creams. She also found out that she has photodermatitis, a lifelong allergy to the sun.
Bela said she now swears she'll never make the same mistake again and encourages others to never forget to use SPF. She said: "Now I know you should be careful no matter what - it could happen to anyone."
Although the experience was horrific, she can now laugh about it. She added: "Looking back, I can laugh about it now - how I looked was hilarious. But it was absolutely horrific to experience, and I never want that to happen again."
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