A YOUNG estate agent went to bed suffering from cold symptoms and didn’t wake up after contracting meningitis.
Abigail Harris, 23, unknowingly had a bacterial form of the illness.
Abigail had been feeling poorly for a few months but tried to dismiss any symptoms.
She went to hospital on March 27, complaining of pain in her wrist, but was diagnosed with tendinitis and advised to get some rest.
Abigail later messaged her aunt Fiona Scarlett, a paramedic practitioner, when she had difficulty breathing. Sadly that was the last time they spoke.
Fiona Scarlett said: “She said she couldn’t drive to hospital due to her wrist hurting so I told her to get her boyfriend Kieron to take her.
“But she hadn’t told him how bad she felt and he’d gone to bed. She didn’t want to bother him.”
“She said she’d try to go to sleep. We left it there.”
She was later rushed to intensive care but did not respond to antibiotics. She died on March 29.
Mum and dad Nicola and Andy shared her story for World Meningitis Day to raise awareness of the MenACWY vaccine.
The family said: “She has left a gaping hole in our hearts.”
What are the symptoms of meningitis?
Symptoms of meningitis can appear in any order. Some may not appear at all. In the early stages, there may not be a rash or the rash may fade on pressure.
They include:
- A high fever over 37.5 degrees – the average human temperature
- Being sick
- Headache
- Blotchy rash that doesn’t fade when a glass is rolled over it
- Stiffness, especially in the neck
- Sensitivity to bright lights
- Drowsiness, irritability or lack of energy
- Cold hands and feet
- Seizures
The classic rash associated with meningitis usually looks like small, red pinpricks at first.
But it will spread over the body and turn into red or purple blotches.
If you press the side of a glass firmly against the skin where the rash is and it does not fade, it is a sign of blood poisoning and you should get medical help immediately.
The Meningitis Research Foundation has warned the symptoms can easily be mistaken for a hangover.
The charity urged people to look out for the symptoms in family and friends during winter, when the illness is more prevalent.
Get medical help immediately if you’re concerned about yourself or your child.
Trust your instincts and do not wait until a rash develops.
Source: NHS
