A meningitis scare

I'm posting this not to scare mums but when I read it this week, it reminded me of two things.  Firstly, to be aware of the signs of meningitis and secondly, to always go with your gut feeling. 

 

In January of this year, a UK mum Michelle had, what I can only imagine was the most frightening experience of her life, her little girl Erica, who was just 3 years old got Meningitis. Erica had gone to bed at 7.30 like any normal little girl, but by midnight had woken up calling out for her mum, and asking for a glass of water. She complained to her mum that she couldn't move, when Michelle pulled back the blanket she saw purple marks all over Erica's body. Michelle and her husband did the glass test to see if the rash disappared and when it didn't, they immediately rushed her to hospital. Michelle and her husband watched helplessly as their little girl screamed in pain. She was then transfered to a children's hospital where she remained in intensive care. Erica's condition deteriorated in just hours. Doctors diagnosed meningococcal septicaemia, and said her prognosis was not good. She was eventually transferred to a burns unit as her legs turned black and the skin disintigrated exposing the bone, and she underwent skin grafts. Michelle and her husband had been told that she might lose her legs. 

 

But against the odds, little Erica fought back and slowly began to recover. Her legs were saved by a 'vacum therapy' treatment, which encouraged skin tissue re-growth, she spent over 2 weeks in hospital and has returned 3 times for skin grafts. And now, just over 7 months later, she is back on her feet (although walking with splints) and getting ready to start nursery.