Girl, 10, left fighting for her life with deadly E.Coli bug she caught in Egypt after doctor mistreated it as ‘dodgy belly’
HER vital organs began to shut down and she spent a week on life support
A YOUNG girl left fighting for her life had been told by Egyptian doctors the deadly E.Coli bug was a 'dodgy belly'.
Poorly Emily Bridges was on a family holiday to the country when she fell ill with the life threatening disease.
The 10-year-old was initially misdiagnosed as having a 'dodgy belly' by a local doctor in Hurghada.
But after landing in Britain Emily was rushed to hospital where horrified doctors found her vital organs had begun to shut down.
Her condition deteriorated to the point where she spent a week on life support.
The schoolgirl was diagnosed with E.coli as well as Hemolytic-uremic syndrome, a condition which causes kidneys to fail and the body to destroy red blood cells.
Her mum Rachel, 43, said: "We initially put it down to a dodgy belly while we were there.
"It was only when we were home I took her to the hospital, expecting to get a prescription but a doctor told me she was very sick.";
E-coli can be contracted by eating contaminated food, touching infected animals or drinking untreated water.
Emily was treated at St Thomas's Hospital in central London and she is now off the critical list.
Mum Rachel, of the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, added: "It has been such a traumatic experience and a lot for a 10-year-old to deal with.
"But she's strong and stubborn like me so I know she'll pull through because she's a fighter."
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Emily is now spending 16-hours a day on dialysis and may also need a transplant in the future because of the severity of the damage to her kidneys.
She takes a £12,000 a dose drug weekly to stop her immune system attacking her own body.
Family friend Jayne Russon has started a GoFundMe page that will help cover Rachel's expenses.
Jayne said: "I've known Rachel for more than 30 years, so wanted to help her in anyway I possibly can."
Earlier this month two Brit holidaymakers had the holiday from hell for very different reasons.
They were beaten up by Magaluf party hotel bouncers said they were “attacked for walking too slowly”.
The young couple were pummelled by security staff at the four-star BH Mallorca Hotel in Spain.
Model Robbie Hofmann said her and her DJ boyfriend Alex Henderson and a friend “were pushed and assaulted while walking to the exit by a man bigger than the three of us combined”.
She wrote on Facebook: “We at no point behaved like disrespectful yobs which was how we were treated when apparently walking too slowly towards the exit.”
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