Olubiyi Jibowu: Dad forced to have leg amputated after home pedicure went pear shaped

A father who gave himself an at-home pedicure was forced to have his leg amputated after the pampering went pear-shaped.

Olubiyi Jibowu, 57, soaked his feet in a salted foot bath but did not realise how hot the water was until he took his feet out and saw they were covered in red blisters.

He treated the burns himself using Dettol, but his skin continued to peel, and the wounds never healed.

In August 2023, Mr Jibowu’s foot turned black, leaving him in severe pain.

The father told The Mirror, “It was pain I can’t even describe. I’m a big guy, but it was just too much. The skin eventually shrivelled up and was just torn apart. It went all black. I could see the fragments of my bone structure on my feet”.

He was then diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which is known to slow the healing process of wounds. This worsened the infection.

Once Mr Jibowu finally received proper medical attention, the lower portion of his leg had gone into sepsis, and doctors had no choice but to amputate it to save his life.

In a statement on his GoFundMe page, Mr Jibowu said when he tried to treat the burn at home, he was “unaware of how serious the situation would become”.

“The journey since then has been both physically and emotionally challenging,” he said.

“I spent weeks in the hospital and rehabilitation centres, learning how to adapt to life with a prosthetic. There were setbacks — including falls that reopened my stitches — but I remained determined not to give up.”

He has experienced phantom limb syndrome, a condition where amputees feel sensations as if the removed limb is still there.

Mr Jibowu said his new reality with his current prosthetic is very difficult because it is heavy and uncomfortable and limits how far he can walk.

The GoFundMe was set up to cover the cost of a “high-quality titanium prosthetic leg” that would significantly improve his “mobility and independence”.

The funds would also go toward covering the cost of his ongoing rehabilitation.

Mr Jibowu is now urging people with small wounds, especially people with diabetes, to get them checked by medical professionals, and fast.