When Isabella Gawley first experimented with ketamine, she was oblivious to the fact that it would nearly claim her life. The Liverpool native was just 16 when she tried the drug at a party in 2021, leading to a spiralling £30,000 addiction.

This dependency caused her weight to plummet to a mere three and a half stone and resulted in a near-death experience from cardiac arrest just three years later. Now, the teenager is raising awareness about the dangers of the drug, asserting that children as young as 12 are dabbling with it, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Ketamine, an anaesthetic used on humans and animals, is classified as a Class B drug, making its recreational use illegal. Possession, distribution or sale of the drug is against the law.

Recent government data reveals that ketamine use among 16-24 year olds in England has tripled since 2016. Approximately 269,000 individuals aged between 16-59 admitted to using ketamine in the year ending March 2024.

Prolonged use of ketamine has been associated with severe health complications, including bladder damage and increased heart rate. Earlier this year, drag queen The Vivienne, succumbed to a cardiac arrest induced by ketamine use.

Now 19, Isabella has opened up about her ordeal, expressing her connection to The Vivienne, whose real name was James Lee Williams. She recounted how she managed to fund her habit by sharing the drug with friends, describing it as "readily available" and "easy to source", requiring only "pocket money" for purchase.

Isabella became addicted to the powerful horse tranquiliser and anaesthetic, turning to it daily after her grandmother's death. Her excessive use led to agonising chronic pain in her bladder and kidneys.

The drug's grip reduced her to a mere three and a half stone, leaving her bedridden, with kidney and bladder damage forcing her to endure frequent toilet visits "every five minutes". On the fateful day of her cardiac arrest, Isabella was immobilised in bed, having abstained from the drug for five days.

Paramedics performed CPR at her home and en route to the hospital in the ambulance, where their efforts were bolstered by defibrillators in a desperate bid to revive her.

Recalling the harrowing experience, Isabella recounted: "I woke up in the morning and I couldn't feel my whole body. I was paralysed from head to toe. I couldn't move my body, or my legs or my arms."

She struggled to speak to alert her mother, saying, "I could barely project my voice to tell my mum I needed help. When she came up she rang the ambulance straight away and the paramedics had to slide me off my bed – I only had a dressing gown on."

It was this moment that sparked a turning point. Isabella reflected: "I realised at that point what I'd put my mum through. I could see the trauma in her eyes."

Determined to turn her life around, she declared, "It was the realisation that enough was enough - I thought to myself 'I'm so much better than this' and I stopped for good, so I guess the cardiac arrest was the best thing for me. I needed that wake-up call – no one would make me stop but myself."

Isabella shared her harrowing journey from intense pain to remarkable recovery. She recounted: "I used to sit on my floor instead of my bed because I was buckled over in pain. I'd put heaters behind my back because it was the only thing that would help. And one time one hairdryer melted into my bed."

Later, she revealed the unexpected turn her health took: "But now my body has made a near-full recovery. The doctor said I'd have to wear nappy pads for the rest of my life, but I don't any longer as my body has healed after three years of near constant [ketamine] usage."

Isabella also described her physical transformation and its toll on family ties: "I turned from a physically active, sporty girl into a literal bone, there was no fat, no muscles, and my face drooped. And it caused some of my relationships with family members to sour too."

Determined to spread awareness, she stated: "I'm quite young and I feel like I have to speak about it and break a taboo around it. It's hard but it's going to be the best thing to do. I'd rather tell people and help them than keep it to myself."

The young woman expressed her concerns about young people's lack of awareness regarding the damage drugs can cause: "Kids need to understand that your family are going to watch you and see your gravestone, which I didn't realise at the time – I know that there are 12-year-olds who are just damaging their bodies from ketamine," she warned.

"I've come back and I'm a million times stronger, both mentally and physically. I came out of hospital and, although it has left me with permanent damage, the pains now and again are nothing compared to what I used to feel."

Speaking about the death of The Vivienne, she said: "The Vivienne died in a bathroom because she was alone and there was no one there to do CPR. It's lucky I wasn't on my own, because my mum was around – she stuck by me the whole way.

"I feel like I can really appreciate life now and the extreme situation I was in and that's why I don't care if people laugh about me coming forward, as I've turned my life around and I want to help other people do that."

Isabella is grateful for another chance at life. She added: "When my heart started again, I was fortunate. I got given that second chance that so many don't get.

"But it wasn't the cardiac arrest that scared me into stopping my ketamine addiction - it was the look on my mum's face.

"My mum watched me effectively die in front of her eyes and no mum should watch their 18-year-old daughter nearly die in front of them.

"I really feel I wasn't meant to come back. It was a living miracle."

If you or someone else needs urgent help after taking drugs or drinking, call 999 for an ambulance. To find drug support advice near you, visit talktofrank.com/get-help/find-support-near-you..