Wyatt Howard’s story
Emma shares her story of every parents worst nightmare: her newborn son’s diagnosis with viral meningitis.
My daughter got meningococcal sepsis on June 6th 2025. We were sent home from hospital with a sickness bug and told to return in 48 hours if she was still unwell. If I had listened, my daughter would not be here.
The moment everything changed
I returned to hospital to hear the words meningitis, sepsis, and that her heart was failing so she needed the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine at Newcastle Freeman, and that we were likely to lose her as she was critical. They saved her life, but she did suffer a stroke which has caused brain damage, and she was paralysed on the left side of her body. She suffers with seizures, and we don’t know what the future holds for her development.
Our little miracle
Haisleigh is so strong and made an amazing recovery despite the odds being against her.
Three months later and she is walking again. We couldn’t be more proud of our little miracle. She had only a 20% chance to recover from the ECMO machine, and about a one-year life expectancy – the ECMO being her last chance. When we heard this from the doctors, it hit home.
It’s such a quick downfall once contracted. My child is vaccinated, and doctors reported to Public Health.
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