They call me the robot lady': A bug bite changed Stephenie's life forever
One mosquito bite changed Stephenie Rodriguez's life forever.
In 2019, a bite during a business trip to Africa gave her cerebral malaria and robbed her of both of her feet.
More than 300 days in hospital and nearly 40 surgeries later, Rodriguez became the first woman in Australia with above-ankle bilateral osseointegrated implants and mechanical feet.
"They call me the robot lady," she grins.
It's a startling reminder of the dangers lurking in the smallest of creatures.