FIGHTING FOR LIFE
Student, 25, lost several limbs and required hand transplant after vomiting in the night and ‘brick skin’ appeared
From headaches to a rash and stiff neck - how to spot the signs and symptoms of meningitis
BECCA Heritage had been enjoying her first weeks at University when she started vomiting "relentlessly".
"After hours of it not stopping, alarm bells rang," the now 25-year-old medical student said.
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Doctors later discovered she had meningitis - a diagnosis that would change her life forever.
In the weeks and months that followed, she faced the horrifying reality of having her legs and fingers amputated as they began to rot away.
"Within hours, I’d gone from healthy to hospitalised," Becca recalled.
The teen's nightmarish ordeal began in 2018 just six weeks after starting her first year at the University of Southampton.
Read more on meningitis
The aspiring GP was staying with a friend when she first fell ill.
"We hadn’t been out drinking - as you might expect - and went to bed at a reasonable time, feeling perfectly fine," she said.
But in the middle of the night Becca started being sick.
Her friend called NHS 111, who instructed them to take Becca to A&E immediately.
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Doctors gave the student anti-sickness tablets and were preparing to discharge her when her condition suddenly took a turn for the worse.
"I became feverish, clammy and disoriented," Becca said.
The signs and symptoms of sepsis to look out for, according to The UK Sepsis Trust
"I vaguely recall getting up to go to the bathroom, but I’m told I collapsed and possibly had a seizure."
Doctors worked frantically to cool her down, surrounding her with fans and ice packs.
But over the next few hours, Becca developed sepsis, a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body's immune system overreacts to an infection.
At this point, doctors decided to place her in an induced coma for two weeks and move her to intensive care.
Becca's family were warned that she might not survive the next few hours.
"My parents had to explain the situation to my two younger sisters, and my family said their goodbyes," she said.
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Becca made it through the night but her condition ";remained touch and go", with scans revealing swelling in her brain caused by meningitis.
"Doctors told my family that if the swelling increased, I wouldn’t survive," she added.
When Becca eventually woke up two weeks later, she had no recollection of what had happened.
";I was disoriented, foggy from medications, and frustrated at not being able to enjoy simple pleasures like a hot chocolate," she said.
"I gradually learned that I had been battling meningitis and sepsis, and looking down I saw that my hands and patches of skin were completely black," she added.
"The texture was unreal, almost like the surface of a brick."
'Like sitting in acid'
Over the next six weeks in intensive care, the teen underwent multiple surgeries, including the amputation of several fingers and the removal of dying skin.
"My hands were bandaged, and I remember asking a nurse to draw on my godmother’s hand to show how much I had left," Becca said.
"Seeing her hand covered in pen - the reality hit me."
By December, Becca started, undergoing more skin grafts and surgeries.
"The pain was excruciating," she said.
"After one procedure, I screamed from the burning sensation, like sitting in acid.
The operations were agonising, but once they were done, my focus shifted to rehabilitation
Becca Heritage
"Small joys, like opening advent calendars with my mum and godmother in the middle of the night, became my lifeline."
In January, she was transferred to Salisbury for specialist surgery, where both legs were amputated.
"The operations were agonising, but once they were done, my focus shifted to rehabilitation."
From Monday to Friday, Becca was in the gym "all day", learning to use her prosthetics and regaining strength.
By the weekends, she was eager to go home and enjoy a sense of normality.
After just seven weeks, she was walking independently with her prosthetics.
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In 2020, she returned to University to restart her medicine degree.
"It was the right time, and I was proud to reclaim my life," she said.
"Despite my disability, I was determined not to let it change my path."
Lifechanging hand transplant
She referred herself to Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust - the only hospital trust in the UK to offer hand and upper limb transplantation.
"This was a major step forward, and the experience was much more positive since it was a choice I made while healthy," she said.
The operation lasted around 12 hours, as doctors painstakingly reconnected bones, tendons, nerves, arteries, veins, and muscles in a complex procedure.
Everything you need to know about meningitis
Meningitis, is an uncommon but serious illness that can cause life-threatening complications and even death.
It is triggered by the meningococcal bacteria.
It can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults.
Meningitis can attack the lining of the brain and spinal cord and, in some cases, cause a serious blood infection (sepsis).
Early symptoms of meningitis can sometimes be similar to those of the flu, but they can progress quickly and can be fatal.
Symptoms of meningitis develop suddenly and can include:
- A high temperature (fever) over 37.5C (99.5F)
- Being sick
- A headache
- A blotchy rash that doesn’t fade when a glass is rolled over it (this won’t always develop)
- A stiff neck
- A dislike of bright lights
- Drowsiness or unresponsiveness
- Seizures (fits)
These symptoms can appear in any order and some may not appear.
When to get medical help
You should get medical advice as soon as possible if you’re concerned that you or your child could have meningitis.
Trust your instincts, and don’t wait until a rash develops.
Phone 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department immediately if you think you or your child might be seriously ill.
Phone 111 or your GP practice for advice if you’re not sure if it’s anything serious or you think you may have been exposed to someone with meningitis.
How meningitis is spread
Meningitis is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Bacterial meningitis is rarer but more serious than viral meningitis.
Infections that cause meningitis can be spread through:
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Kissing
- Sharing utensils, cutlery and toothbrushes
Meningitis is usually caught from people who carry these viruses or bacteria in their nose or throat but aren’t ill themselves.
It can also be caught from someone with meningitis, but this is less common.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations offer some protection against certain causes of meningitis.
These include the:
- Meningitis B vaccine – offered to babies aged 8 weeks, followed by a second dose at 16 weeks, and a booster at 1 year
- 6-in-1 vaccine – offered to babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age
- Pneumococcal vaccine – offered to babies at 12 weeks and between 12 and 13 months old
- Meningitis C vaccine – offered at 12 weeks of age, 1 year
- MMR vaccine – offered to babies at 1 year and a second dose at 3 years and 4 months
- Meningitis ACWY vaccine – offered to teenagers who are in S3 (around 14 years of age) at school. Young people who are in S4-S6 and missed the opportunity to get immunised last year, may also get the vaccine at school this year
She would go on to become the ninth person in the UK to undergo a hand transplant.
"I’m grateful that despite the permanent effects of meningitis, I can manage my disability and lead an independent life," she said.
Meningitis is easily preventable now with a vaccine.
The student is now campaigning to boost vaccine awareness amongst fellow students and raise awareness of organ and limb donation.
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"Everyone can get the MenACWY jab up until their 25th birthday," she said.
"I want to make sure that all university students know that, if they have missed out, they can still have the vaccine if they’re under 25.”
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