Six hours after my husband called to say our little girl was sick she died – here’s what I want all parents to know
A HEARTBROKEN mum has urged all parents to be on the lookout for signs of a deadly meningitis.
Siobhan Carroll's little girl Aoibhe had suddenly become unwell, and was suffering with sickness and diarrhoea.
Sadly, just hours later, the little girl had died after contracting meningitis.
Those most at risk from the illness are kids under five, teenagers and young adults.
An estimated 2.5million cases of meningitis occur globally each year.
Little Aoibhe died in 2011, six hours after falling ill.
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At the time, Siobhan had been pregnant and had been to the hospital for a check up.
Siobhan, who is the chief executive of ACT for Meningitis, had received a call from her husband regarding her little girl's condition.
The mum had been chatting to her daughter hours before she died and had told her she loved her.
Speaking to the she said: "As the night progressed, she became more unwell, her dad rang the out of hours service, he told them the symptoms, and said he was concerned."
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The service urged him to check if lights had been bothering the youngster and an ambulance was later sent out to the family.
Dad Noel had carried his little girl downstairs in preparation for the arrival of the ambulance, and noticed her slowly closing her eyes.
He told his wife that it wasn't looking good, before they were taken to hospital with their little girl.
The mum added: "As we stood in A&E, we saw the consultant, and a priest walked towards us and said, ‘we’re really sorry your little girl is gone.”
She said it was the speed of the illness that struck her the most and added that 'it's incredibly rapid'.
"Make yourselves aware of the signs and symptoms of Meningitis, with it symptoms can appear in any order, or may not appear at all, trust your instincts, you know your child, if you're concerned, get medical attention," she said.
The mum's warning comes after data from the Meningitis Research Foundation found that one in 20 parents don't know signs of the deadly illness.
Meningitis: The signs you need to know
The symptoms of meningitis develop suddenly and include:
- A high fever over 37.5 degrees - the average human temperature
- being sick
- a headache
- a 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 new poll also revealed that mums were eight times more likely than dads to know what to look out for when it comes to the deadly bugs.
Experts warned that not enough parents know the other signs, aside from a rash, that they should be looking for.
Sometimes, symptoms can resemble that of the flu, especially at the beginning of the illness.
Claire Wright, head of evidence and policy at the Meningitis Research Foundation, said parents should think of septicaemia as blood poisoning caused by the same bacteria as meningitis.
She added: “Every day we support people who are coping with the life-changing impact of meningitis and septicaemia, from deafness, to limb loss, to epilepsy or long-term memory issues.
“Yet the bacteria that trigger these illnesses can be defeated in our lifetime through better vaccine development, availability and uptake, improved diagnostic tests and through knowing when to get medical help.
“It’s also important to remember meningitis and septicaemia are more than just a rash, which doesn’t always appear.
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“This poll tells us that not enough parents are aware of some of the other signs to look out for.
“We want to change that, so more lives can be saved.”