Sommer Seeley said she has had to endure mockery and criticism from social media users, but that she will never stop loving these animals. Every day her 5 leeches latch onto her arms and legs to feed.
It’s clear that any owner would do whatever it takes to make sure their pet is well cared for and fed. However, there are those who take that phrase way too literally and are willing to give everything. Even if it’s their own blood.
And we’re not talking about some kind of donation or transfusion, but another kind of transfer. For example, letting your own leeches suck on your limbs.
That’s what has catapulted a woman from Oregon, United States, into everyone’s mouths these days on TikTok. According to the New York Post, she is a 26-year-old young woman who keeps these special animals as pets.
Sommer Seeley said she has received a lot of backlash on social media, since she revealed through videos that she allows her own leeches to suck her blood. “People tell me I’m disgusting and that I need to be committed to a psychiatric facility,” she said.
The woman, who works as a security guard, has loved these worms for many years. She has affectionately nicknamed her 5 leeches the “Golden Girls Crew.”
This strange activity started out of pure curiosity. One day Sommer brought one of the leeches close to her leg and watched as it sucked her blood nonstop. “I was surprised how long it lasted. Up to an hour or more,” she said.
After that, what at first seemed like a kind of “fetish” became something regular. Now day after day the “Golden Girls” cling to Sommer’s arms and legs to feed.
While it may seem painful, it’s not, since leeches secrete a saliva that numbs the skin so that blood flow can continue normally. “Afterwards you bleed because of the anticoagulants in their saliva, which can last more than 10 hours,” she added.
Despite having more detractors than supporters on social media, who call her “gross,” she said that her fondness for these worms has not affected her personal life because she only surrounds herself with people “who appreciate genuine connections.”
To conclude, the young woman said that her mission was to show the world that these animals can be beautiful even if they seem slimy and stinky. “If you like weird, low-maintenance pets and you’re not squeamish about blood, they’re a great pet!” she finished.