Pictured: Ravaged face of woman, 27, whose dreams of being an air hostess were destroyed when she got hooked on a legal high

  • Mikaila Tyhurst, now 27, dreamed of becoming an air hostess at age of 18
  • Had blonde hair, clear skin and good teeth, before getting hooked on GBL
  • During addiction, she suffered liver damage and ended up on life support
  • Her skin became blotchy, eyes grew puffy and front teeth were knocked out
  • Ms Tyhurst says she has been clean for two years and is rebuilding life
  • GBL, or gamma butyrolacton, is found in paint stripper and nail varnish
  • Gives feeling of euphoria but can reduce inhibitions and lead to drowsiness
  • Class C drug made illegal in 2009 but is still available online

By Sophie Jane Evans

[published ] | UPDATED: 16:03 EST, 11 March 2014

This is the ravaged face of a young woman whose dreams of becoming an air hostess were shattered after she got hooked on a legal party drug.

Mikaila Tyhurst, from Crumpsall, Manchester, was an attractive blonde with clear skin, good teeth and a career plan at the age of 18.

But after becoming hooked on the legal high GBL, she suffered severe liver damage - and ended up on life support a staggering 15 times.

Mikaila Tyhurst, now 27, was an attractive blonde with dreams of becoming an air hostess at the age of 18
But her looks were ravaged after she became hooked on GBL. Here, Ms Tyhurst is pictured at 22

Contrast: Mikaila Tyhurst, now 27, was an attractive blonde with dreams of becoming an air hostess at the age of 18 (left). But her looks were ravaged after she became hooked on GBL. Right, Ms Tyhurst is pictured aged 22

During her addiction, her skin became blotchy and covered in spots, her eyes grew puffy and her hair turned a mousey shade of brown.

Meanwhile, her front teeth were knocked out when she fell over during one drug-fuelled night.

 

More...

GBL - or gamma butyrolactone - is a component of some paint strippers, nail varnish removers and superglue solvents. It gives users a feeling of euphoria, but can also reduce their inhibitions and produce a sense of drowsiness.

Now aged 27, Ms Tyhurst says she has been off the drug for two years - and is determined to get her life back on track.

Effects: During her addiction, Ms Tyhurst suffered liver damage - and ended up on life support a staggering 15 times. Her skin also became blotchy and covered in spots, her eyes grew puffy and her teeth were knocked out

Effects: During her addiction, Ms Tyhurst suffered liver damage - and ended up on life support a staggering 15 times. Her skin also became blotchy and covered in spots, her eyes grew puffy and her teeth were knocked out

Ravaged: GBL is a component of some paint strippers, nail varnish removers and superglue solvents. It gives users a feeling of euphoria, but can also reduce their inhibitions. Above, Ms Tyhurst is pictured in 2009

Ravaged: GBL is a component of some paint strippers, nail varnish removers and superglue solvents. It gives users a feeling of euphoria, but can also reduce their inhibitions. Above, Ms Tyhurst is pictured in 2009

The recovering addict, whose 18-month-old daughter was taken away from her at the height of her drug abuse, has also spoken of her hope that she will soon be reunited with her child once again. 

'I am ashamed to admit I loved GBL more than her,' she said. 'I will never forgive myself for letting drugs come between me and my daughter.

GBL: GAMMA BUTYROLACTONE

GBL - or gamma butyrolactone - is a component of some paint strippers, nail varnish removers and superglue solvents.

It gives users a feeling of euphoria, but can also reduce their inhibitions and produce a sense of drowsiness.

The drug was made illegal by the Government in December 2009, but is still possible to obtain online as a cheap industrial cleaner.

'I missed the most precious years of her life, but I am determined to make it up to her.'

Ms Tyhurst, who dreamed of becoming an air hostess, became hooked on GBL - which was made illegal by the Government in December 2009 - in 2005.

For the next four years, she was taken to hospital nearly 1,000 times - and was close to death on 15 occasions.

She only stopped taking the drug after doctors warned her that, if she didn't, she was likely to die.

'I was put on a life support machine 15 times and I lost my front teeth after falling onto a pavement while on GBL,' she told Closer magazine.

'Doctors told me that, if I did GBL or drank alcohol again, I would be dead. It was a real wake-up call.

'No one had ever told me I could die from it. I could not believe I had let it get this far.'

New life: Ms Tyhurst, pictured today, has now been clean for two years - and is determined to get her life back

New life: Ms Tyhurst, pictured today, has now been clean for two years - and is determined to get her life back

Because of her addiction, Ms Tyhurst's life expectancy had been reduced by at least ten years - and she admits she looks far older than other women in their twenties.

Meanwhile, her liver is currently operating at a level of just 11 per cent - meaning she will need a transplant in the future.

But Ms Tyhurst believes she has been given second chance after being placed on a detox programme and given medication to flush out toxins from her liver.

Recovering: However, her liver is only operating at a level of 11 per cent - meaning she will need a transplant

Recovering: However, her liver is only operating at a level of 11 per cent - meaning she will need a transplant

'I have turned my life around, but now I need a new liver and there is no guarantee I will get one,' said Ms Tyhurst, who is now hoping for a career as a drug and alcohol counsellor,

Although the Government has made GBL illegal, it is still possible to obtain the Class C drug online as a cheap industrial cleaner.

New figures reveal more than 50 people die every year after taking legal highs.




Comments (164)

Share what you think

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

she looks the same apart from no makeup...i found that out once with a one night stand......anyway thats another story.....but her eyes look like they have taken a few beatings.

0
0
 Click to rate

If she can't figure out what is lethal, she has no business taking care of a potted plant, much less a child.

0
3
 Click to rate

"who's playin that banjo........?'"...............

1
4
 Click to rate

Look hard and long at her face......... Bet she started w/ marijuana, legal or non legal, the want for the bigger high, the feeling of utopia, the escape from reality... This is what our youth, the future generation of American's will look like. Look at Amsterdam...... Think of friends, family, acquaintances in your past, and them now... Your right, not all go down the that path, but look around at our youth of today, their you owe me dole mentality... Pot is no different then a Beer, or a high ball... but drugs lead to more drugs and the addiction factor is so much greater and the physiological effects are real

2
10
 Click to rate

50 a year?? Thats 50 to many, but then again how many deaths from alcohol?? In fact how many deaths from people falling down the stairs and off ladders and chairs??

4
1
 Click to rate

Should be a poster girl on the dangers of drugs.

0
25
 Click to rate

Looks like she's been hit by a train

0
10
 Click to rate

Why did she not smoke weed, would of been so much better for her.

9
22
 Click to rate

If she takes GBL or alcohol again she'll die? The jaundice look suggests there's a lot of alcohol abuse with it too, just saying

4
9
 Click to rate

Hope the buzz was worth it not.

3
9
 Click to rate

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now