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'THIS IS WHAT MENINGITIS DOES'

Hairdresser, 25, who faces losing her limbs from meningitis shares shocking hospital bed pictures as warning

She posted the images to show people what the illness can do as she impressed upon those who read the post to raise awareness

A YOUNG hairdresser has posted a series of shocking photographs which show just how much damage meningitis can do as a warning to others.

Charlene Colechin uploaded the images from her hospital bed, where she has spent the past month fighting for her life as doctors battled to save her.

Charlene Colchin posted these pictures of herself in hospital after battling the serious illness
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Charlene Colchin posted these pictures of herself in hospital after battling the serious illnessCredit: Facebook
Her legs and feet are covered in the distinctive rash and swollen due to meningitis
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Her legs and feet are covered in the distinctive rash and swollen due to meningitisCredit: Facebook

The 25-year-old from Derbyshire now faces losing limbs after she noticed the recognisable rash, her organs began to fail and she was rushed to hospital.

She is likely to lose her toes after the disease took over her body, and could also lose her feet.

In her frank Facebook post she writes how she actually died due to the bacterial infection which caused her to become seriously ill, but that doctors managed to bring her back.

She has said she wants others to share her post as a warning of the severity of the illness
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She has said she wants others to share her post as a warning of the severity of the illnessCredit: Facebook

The pictures show her in hospital covered in a blotchy rash with swollen limbs - the worst affected areas are her feet and toes.

She wrote: "These are not nice photos but this is the reality of what meningitis can do.

"I had the worse type of meningitis you can get don't know how to say if so I'm not going to bother, but it's bacterial what happening outside of my body was happening inside of my body poisoning my blood.

"It made all my organs fail which did course[sic] me to die but obviously they brought me back but because they was concentrating on reviving the top half of my body they left the bottom half which has coursed my feet to go f****d up especially my toes and now I could be loosing them but I am loosing my toes for definite.

"Please share this post to raise awareness of how serious meningitis can be and is."

She said in her post that it is likely she will loose her toes and also possibly her feet
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 She said in her post that it is likely she will loose her toes and also possibly her feetCredit: Facebook
The 25-year-old hairdresser thought her symptoms were something minor until her organs began to fail
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The 25-year-old hairdresser thought her symptoms were something minor until her organs began to failCredit: Facebook

Her symptoms started simply as a headache and with some vomiting after work, so she went to bed.

But by the next morning the rash had started to appear and she was deteriorating.

A university fresher was killed by meningitis after mistaking his symptoms for a hangover in October 2014.

Tragic Teygan Sugrue died just weeks after arriving at Manchester Uni believing his pain was caused by a heavy drinking session the night before.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF MENINGITIS?

The common signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia are similar and can often happen together, they include:
– Fever, cold hands and feet
– Vomiting
– Drowsy and difficult to walk
– Confusion and irritability
– Severe muscle pain
– Pale, blotchy skin, spots/rash
– Severe headache
– Stiff neck
– Dislikes bright lights
– Convulsions/seizures
Someone with meningitis or septicaemia can get a lot worse very quickly, keep an eye on them and trust your instincts if you think medical help is required.



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