Woman, who almost died, warns of dangers of meningitis

Alicia Aston-Maxwell, 20, ended up in hospital with doctors telling her friends and family that she may never wake up.

"I’d had a cough and cold for weeks before coming home for Christmas," she said. "Christmas Day and Boxing Day are a bit of a blur but I remember not feeling excited. When I woke up on December 27, that's when I knew something was very wrong.

"I had a splitting headache and I could hardly move. Mum took me to the doctors but I was unable to walk without help, I couldn’t physically hold a pen to fill in the temporary registration form, couldn’t sit up straight on a chair and I couldn't really speak to the doctor.

"My dad took me straight to hospital. I remember being put into a wheelchair and wheeled off for a CT scan. It all happened very quickly. Then I remember lying in a bed somewhere screaming because the lights were too bright and the beeping of machines were hurting my ears. Then I just black out."

Sedated

Alicia was sedated for nearly four days and only has blurry memories of her time in hospital.

“I don't remember being given treatment with antibiotics but I’m told I was lucky this treatment was started quickly, before my diagnosis was even confirmed as meningitis, and before the rash developed," she said.

“My family and closest friends were so worried and didn't know if I was going to wake up. Even now, I don't really remember when I did wake up and don’t remember most of the conversations I’m told I had with people in the days afterwards. I couldn’t concentrate on anything and was obsessed with watching the film Elf.

“Seven days after being admitted I was well enough to go home. The doctors said I had made a miraculous recovery."

Aftermath

Even a year on, she still suffers with the aftermath of the illness.

"My co-ordination still isn’t good and my left side of my body is much weaker than my right making it difficult to play sport. For a while I developed a stutter and was just unable to speak properly.

“I did go back to university later in the year but because of how much I had missed and how I was my I was struggling to concentrate I decided to defer and restarted my first year again this September.

“I don't actually remember what it feels like to be 'normal'. I don't remember how I was pre-meningitis but I just feel happy to be alive and have all my limbs.”

Vinny Smith, chief executive of Meningitis Research Foundation, said: "Sadly we see even more individuals and families affected by meningitis and septicaemia during winter, but it can be difficult to recognise at first. Even a doctor may not be able to diagnose it in the early stages, which is why it’s so important for everyone to know the symptoms and for parents to trust their instincts.”

For more information visit meningitis.org