Posted on Mar 18, 2015

This Is The Horrifying Thing That Happens To Your Hands When You Fall Asleep Outside In The Canadian Winter

Man, this sucks. Graphic images ahead that some readers might deem slightly NSFW, or for life.

BuzzFeed Staff

Emma loves traveling, so a couple of weeks ago was exploring Saskatchewan, the part of Canada where her boyfriend grew up.

Saskatchewan is a province known for its beauty and particularly harsh winters.

In the midst of the Canadian winter she found herself getting tired, a symptom of hypothermia, and fell asleep outside a nursing home.

"The pain was so bad I could't sleep. The medication made me sick, and the prospect of losing your fingers never disappears. From the second I was told it lingered on my brain."

"There would be these moments that pull everything back to a slightly better reality. Like trying to teach my boyfriend how to brush my hair, or getting him to do my makeup. And I think it was just a constant focus on the good bits that keeps me upbeat."

Browse links

This Is The Horrifying Thing That Happens To Your Hands When You Fall Asleep Outside In The Canadian Winter

This is Emma Quirk (center), a very lucky young Australian woman currently living in Alberta, Canada.

Quirk said that after having a good deal to drink one night, she got separated from her friends with no phone, no money, and no sense of direction.

Some staff members found her outside, and rushed her to the hospital. This photo was taken about 20 minutes after she was discovered, with her hands already exhibiting symptoms of frostbite.

She stayed in the hospital the next few days with people whom she described on Imgur as "insanely cool nurses and doctors" and even remarked at the coincidence that the specialist treating her was named Dr. Freezin.

Quirk, who works at a liquor store, described the agony of dealing with frostbitten fingers to BuzzFeed News.

This was the biggest point her fingers reached in the process.

The healing process was tough for her, but Quirk said it was little things that helped her maintain a positive outlook.

Quirk added that her hands have been healing well — she has a full range of motion, and most of the feeling in her fingers is back. Her prognosis is good, she said: "By all accounts of medical professionals, my fingers are remaining attached!"

She said she has a simple but effective philosophy on staying upbeat in the worst situations: "Basically, try to find the shit that makes you happy, especially when everything seems miserable."

This Is The Horrifying Thing That Happens To Your Hands When You Fall Asleep Outside In The Canadian Winter

This is Emma Quirk (center), a very lucky young Australian woman currently living in Alberta, Canada.

Quirk said that after having a good deal to drink one night, she got separated from her friends with no phone, no money, and no sense of direction.

Some staff members found her outside, and rushed her to the hospital. This photo was taken about 20 minutes after she was discovered, with her hands already exhibiting symptoms of frostbite.

She stayed in the hospital the next few days with people whom she described on Imgur as "insanely cool nurses and doctors" and even remarked at the coincidence that the specialist treating her was named Dr. Freezin.

Quirk, who works at a liquor store, described the agony of dealing with frostbitten fingers to BuzzFeed News.

This was the biggest point her fingers reached in the process.

The healing process was tough for her, but Quirk said it was little things that helped her maintain a positive outlook.

Quirk added that her hands have been healing well — she has a full range of motion, and most of the feeling in her fingers is back. Her prognosis is good, she said: "By all accounts of medical professionals, my fingers are remaining attached!"

She said she has a simple but effective philosophy on staying upbeat in the worst situations: "Basically, try to find the shit that makes you happy, especially when everything seems miserable."

Share This Article