Talia Smith, a former healthcare industry worker and full-time caregiver to her disabled US veteran husband, has been left in a wheelchair and reliant on round-the-clock care after experiencing severe side effects from taking the antibiotic Cipro in April 2021.

Smith, who used to enjoy an active lifestyle and was in good health, fell ill after taking the medication prescribed for a UTI. Days after starting the antibiotic, she began experiencing excruciating pain and gradually deteriorated over the next five months, eventually ending up in hospice care. A year later, she was moved to palliative care and now requires constant assistance.

Despite her struggles, Smith has taken to social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to share her experience and raise awareness about the potential dangers of fluoroquinolones, a class of antibiotics that can cause severe side effects in some individuals. She is advocating for better warnings on such medications and for doctors to be held responsible for informing patients about potential risks.

Smith is currently pushing for the creation of a new insurance code by the CDC to help those harmed by fluoroquinolones access treatment and is calling for prescribers to report adverse reactions to the FDA. Her goal is to prevent others from going through similar experiences and to ensure that proper precautions are taken when prescribing these antibiotics.

As she continues her advocacy work from her hospital bed, Smith remains determined to raise awareness and bring about change in the medical community to prevent others from suffering the same fate she has endured.