Mum left with brain damage after taking popular £5 TikTok supplement

Mum left with brain damage after taking popular £5 TikTok supplement Lois Kinder, 44, was taken to hospital with acute liver failure with doctors suspecting the cause is a popular Asian herb supplement that is popular on social media A mum described as "fit and healthy" was left with brain damage after she took a popular £5 supplement seen on TikTok. Lois Kinder, 44, drank coffee and swallowed two gummies a day that contained the Asian herb ashwagandha for a year in a bid to improve her overall wellbeing. The supplements are a viral sensation social media and have been promoted alongside claims they ease premenopausal symptoms and help with relaxation. She came across the supplement on social media and ended up being given samples to sell via TikTok. But the mum-of-two, from Warrington, in Cheshire, noticed her eyes and skin turned yellow and three days later she was found collapsed on the settee. She was taken to hospital where she was diagnosed with acute liver failure. Fortunately, a donor organ was found and she had a successful transplant surgery though there were complications that resulted that left her with brain damage. Doctors informed her husband Ollie, 44, they believe the liver failure was the result of Lois ingesting the supplement that can also be bought from Holland and Barrett as well as Boots. Ashwagandha is generally considered to be safe and liver injury appears to be rare.. Lois, though, is currently too ill to speak, but Ollie is now raising awareness. "The thought of losing my wife, and of our children, Imogen and Jacob, losing their mum at just 44 years old, was unbearable," he said. "Watching the person you love fight for their life is something no family can ever prepare for. "When the doctors ran tests, one of the first things they asked us was if she was taking pills containing ashwagandha, which they later said they believed had caused the liver problems. They said there have only been 70 cases of livers failing following prolonged use of the pills. "I want to spread awareness and warn people that even if you think the supplement you are taking is safe, there can still be serious health consequences." Lois had worked as a TikTok affiliate and had been taking and selling ashwagandha-based products for around 12 months. Ollie, an airline cabin crew manager, said there was "no end" to the pills containing the herb that she would be sent by companies trying to sell them on TikTok. The pills are particularly popular with perimenopausal women, helping them with sleep issues and mood swings, according to The Better Menopause. But in the last couple of years, it has been linked to liver problems, according to clinical and liver researchers at LiverTox. Researchers say it is not clear what is causing the liver injuries. In early July, Ollie said his wife had visited her GP thinking she had a stomach bug after being sick and noticing jaundice-like symptoms, including her eyes and skin turning yellow. According to the dad, the doctor said he wasn't "unduly worried" and ordered a blood test and a liver scan. But on July 13, her daughter Imogen, 19, found her unresponsive on their settee in their living room when she noticed she hadn't woken up her brother Jacob, 15, for school. Imogen said: "The paramedics managed to wake her up, but she was confused and couldn't recognise me or my brother." She was then blue-lighted to the Warrington Hospital, and within hours tests found her liver was failing. Doctors placed her into an induced coma and, just three days later, transferred her to the specialist Liver Intensive Care Unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. It is one of only a handful of centres in the UK able to perform emergency liver transplants. The mum was immediately placed on the super urgent transplant list and every passing hour mattered. After several liver offers that were unfortunately unsuitable, on July 22 a donor liver finally became available. But during her transplant, Lois suffered three cardiac arrests cause by a blood clot blocking the main artery to her lungs. She was deprived of oxygen for a prolonged period while the incredible surgical and critical care teams fought tirelessly to save her life. At one point, Ollie was told to prepare for the worst and that she was unlikely to survive the operation. But against all odds, Lois survived and woke from her coma after a month on August 13. Despite this she remains in critical care and undergoes intensive neurological rehabilitation every day. Ollie still visits his wife at Queen Elizabeth Hospital every day. He said: “The medical team caring for Lois have told us that her case is so rare and medically complex that they intend to publish it as a case study in medical journals to help healthcare professionals around the world learn from the extraordinary challenges they faced while saving her life.” Ollie has been told that life is going to be very different for Lois and that she will be disabled in ‘some shape or form’. The family is currently crowdfunding to buy a house and adapt it for Lois. Lois and her family live in a rental property which they have recently been given notice on due to the landlord wanting to sell it. Ollie said: “If you are able to donate, no matter how big or small, you will be helping to give my wife the opportunity to rebuild her life and helping our family face the future together. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your kindness, generosity and support.” To view the GoFundMe page, click here.