I had meningitis and septicaemia when I was 7 years old.
As I grew up to understand the disease, I was told it was blood poisoning which affected me. It caused to lose my digits on my left hand, muscle loss, foot drops on both feet, nerve problems, scaring, bone problems, partly deaf and memory lost.
This changed my life completely... I remember the girl who I was when I was 7 years old. But the girl who woke up from the hospital bed, was not the girl I was anymore. I felt like my happy child life was taken away from me. I was not a young happy child anymore. I didn't understand what was going on. I didn't understand what happened to me and due to the fact I was so young I didn't have the knowledge to understand.
It has been a very difficult time... Not only for me, but for my family and parents too. My dad had to look after my youngest sister who was 5 years old and to work his business to survive. My mum stayed in hospital with me for guidance. I had family members who came to visit me, such as friends, teachers from school and I remember being so poorly.
MY DAD & DOCTORS SAVED MY LIFE! - I remember exactly how I caught meningitis and septicaemia... I was an ordinary child who couldn't sleep. I was in my bed and was wide awake. I couldn't stop turning from side to side and I felt hot. I went downstairs to tell my dad I couldn't sleep. My dad told me to try and go back to bed which I did. Few minutes later, I went downstairs again and told him I couldn't sleep. He got up and took me into the kitchen. He lifted me onto the kitchen counter and got me a glass of water. When he gave me the glass of water to drink, he noticed a rash all over my body. I couldn't look at the light either! He stayed calm and told me he's going to call the ambulance. I went into the living room to rest and I felt weak all over my body. I felt like heavy weights were on top of me.
The ambulance came in a few minutes. I saw my dad running upstairs to get my little sister while the ambulance man lifted me to take me into the ambulance van. I was on the bed and noticed wires going all over my body. I was so weak and I was looking at my dad and sister who were watching me... All I wanted is to be in my dad's arms at the time.
We arrived at A&E St Mary's. I remember being rushed into a room and saw loads of doctors around me. I did not know what to expect. My mum appeared out of no-where and kept crying... I wanted to know where my dad and sister was, until I tilted my head to the side and saw them standing behind a blue curtain. I saw doctors putting needles in me and taking blood out of me. I didn't feel anything. I felt my body went all numb. One of the doctors tried to put an oxygen mask over me but then I kept feeling sick. Everything going on for a few minutes and I felt like I went to sleep.