Jake Hilton's story

On 19th April 2015, I was staying at my girlfriend’s house (I had to be told the next bit) when I started with an extremely bad headache and felt sick.

I was then transferred to the intensive care unit. The results came back. My family were told I had severe pneumococcal meningitis, and I may not survive.They were now beside themselves with worry.

I then started to have convulsions. I then went into a coma, my girlfriend called an ambulance and I was taken to the A and E department at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport. I needed to have a brain scan and a lumbar puncture. 

I was very quickly treated with strong antibiotics, steroids (to reduce swelling around the brain) and other medications. I was to spend the next 4 days in a coma; my family were told it was possible I may have severe brain damage. 

Over the following few days the doctors and nurses were to try and bring me round. I felt very confused and was hallucinating a lot. When I eventually came round, my family, and the lovely doctors and nurses told me what had happened to me over the last week.


The following week I started to slowly improve and then 13 days after arriving in hospital I went home. I felt very weak and had a stiff neck and pains in my right foot and leg, but I felt very lucky to be alive with only minor after effects. 

My family and I feel so eternally grateful to all the hard working staff within the I.C.U. at Stepping Hill. A thank you just didn't seem enough!

Before I got pneumococcal meningitis I dislocated my knee. In total, for both problems, I had about 6 weeks off college, 

About 6 weeks on.....