By Emmanuel Joseph
A 33-year-old mother is in a state of physical and mental anguish and financial stress after an “occupational hazard” at her previous workplace left her suffering from a bewilderingly severe condition with her skin peeling off and no indication of when or if she will improve to work again.
The sole provider for her family, Tiffany Smith told Barbados TODAY the burden of medication costs and inability to repay creditors have left her in a state of mental turmoil.
Her ordeal began just in August 2022, while working at a company selling chemical-based products.
The Labour Department has taken up her case, and according to Chief Labour Officer Claudette Hope-Greenidge, it is an occupational hazard that’s being treated as a priority.
“The Labour Department is aware of Ms Smith’s concern and we are working on the matter along with Ms Smith,” she said in an interview with Barbados TODAY, while opting not to discuss the details.
But Smith herself levelled allegations against the Labour Department, suggesting that her predicament was being swept under the rug.
She told Barbados TODAY her nightmare began with a seemingly harmless rash that appeared on the back of her neck, accompanied by a persistent burning sensation, mere days into her new job. Initially attributing it to the rigours of her role, she dismissed the symptoms as inconsequential.
As days turned into weeks, the rash refused to recede, itching and burning sensations intensified. The mother of a three-year-old boy resorted to an over-the-counter steroid cream to soothe the rash. Her condition spiralled. Painful lumps emerged behind her legs, accompanied by mysterious abscesses that required medical treatment. Then one day, while standing in the shower, one of the lumps burst and a hole, the size of a 10-cent piece, marked the spot where the lump had once been.
Visits to doctors, both private and in the public health care system, resulted in various diagnoses including abscesses and a hair follicle infection, and a range of antibiotics and creams were prescribed.
However, her condition showed no signs of improvement. In fact, the rash continued to expand to Smith’s arms and she found herself in a relentless cycle of sleepless nights and constant visits to medical professionals.
She said her manager was notified of her ordeal.
One doctor’s opinion was that she had a severe heat rash “and he wrote a letter upon my request to my workplace asking them to allow me to work in cool conditions”.
“I was then moved . . . to being a cashier,” Smith said.
“There was no relief from the burning, the itching and the pain and the rash at this time was now on my face and neck too. I found myself every day taking breaks to wet my skin with cold water for what little relief it brought during work. I showed up the next day for work but the discomfort was so bad that I cried as I walked into the workplace.”
Smith’s skin condition continued to worsen, spreading to her back and buttocks. The overwhelming discomfort led the woman, once a fashionista who owned her clothing store and revelled in showcasing her “clean” body, to consult a dermatologist.
Left: A comparison of Tiffany Smith’s legs before and after her condition.
Eventually, the diagnosis was a severe case of dermatitis, but identifying the irritant responsible has remained elusive.
Then last September, Smith’s skin began to peel off and a visit to her dermatologist resulted in her needing to be wrapped in bandages, her entire body encased like a mummy, to keep her skin intact. Work became an impossibility, and Smith took a week off.
Returning to work in mid-October, she felt burning sensations on her lips and a red rash on her fingers signalled a worsening situation.
The situation continued to deteriorate, leading to an emotional visit to the polyclinic. It was during this visit that Smith’s National Insurance sick notice bore the ominous label of “occupational hazard”. Convinced that her workplace was the root cause, she resigned the next day.
“I was certain that something in there was making me sick and even more so now,” she said.
The struggle with medications remained, causing vomiting and prolonged discomfort. Smith’s immune system suffered, and she lost her hair. Her skin reacted negatively to most fabrics, and simple tasks like bathing with soap became impossible.
“I’m at a stage now where there is no set time to which I will be able to re-enter the workforce. It is difficult for me to wear enclosed shoes because my skin tends to peel off in them,” Smith said.
Tiffany Smith’s skin is extremely discoloured.
It has also become “extremely” expensive now to be able to maintain an appropriate diet, and creditors are breathing down her neck but she is not in a position to pay them back right now.
“I also requested help with a psychologist because it’s difficult keeping my mind together while thinking about what my future will be like and how I will provide for my son,” she said. “What do I do about my son and most of all, rent, bills and debt?”
“This is life-altering for me and in no way fair. I hope this reaches someone that can help me find a way to find out what’s going on with my skin and by extension, my body because I am in over my head,” Smith lamented.
She said she pleaded with her former employer to help her find out what was going on, and all they said was that no one else ever had a problem like hers.
When contacted, the Chief Executive Officer of the company declined to address the concerns of his former employee in the media, contending that it’s against policy to discuss the personal issues of past or present staff in public.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
