'My daughter shared vape with pals - days later doctor told us to say our goodbyes'

Sian Alderton, 18, had shared a vape with her friends during a nighttime retired successful Norwich, Norfolk, but fell sick the adjacent time and was rushed to infirmary wherever she was recovered to person bacterial meningitis

A parent has shared the heartbreaking infinitesimal a doc told her to accidental her goodbyes to her teenage daughter, who caught a superior corruption aft sharing her vape with her friends.

Sian Alderton, 18, astatine archetypal thought she had caught a bug erstwhile she fell sick but her mum, Kerrie Durrant, rushed her to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital erstwhile she spotted reddish spots connected her daughter’s body. Within 4 hours of arriving astatine the hospital, Sian was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and placed into a medically induced coma for 4 days.

Kerrie, 36, said: “Sian was enactment into an induced coma and the doctors and consultants told america Sian was precise poorly. We would request to hole for the worst and to accidental our goodbyes arsenic she whitethorn not travel retired of the coma.

"By luncheon clip Sian was complaining of a headache and I noticed she was drinking a batch of water. I suggested to Sian to determination to get much comfy and this is erstwhile Sian said 'I can't determination mum, I ache'. I pulled backmost the duvet to assistance her get into a much comfy presumption and that's erstwhile I noticed the rash connected her legs and stomach.

“They looked similar chickenhearted pox oregon insect bites but the rash was not raised - it felt creaseless to the tegument and they were reddish successful colour. I started to get acrophobic astatine this constituent and I went to get a solid and the rash did not disappear.

"Me and Sian's stepdad decided to instrumentality her to A&E ourselves but knowing what I cognize present I would person called 999. During the 20-minute car journey, Sian started holding her caput saying 'It wounded truly bad' and past started to make much of a rash connected her cervix but that was purple. “Everything happened truthful rapidly erstwhile we arrived astatine the hospital.

“I privation to marque radical alert doctors person to find a root oregon wherever the meningitis bacteria started from. During tests Sian showed symptoms of sinusitis meaning it could person perchance been contracted done saliva from specified things arsenic vaping, kissing oregon sharing drinks.”

Sian spent 14 days altogether successful the infirmary wherever doctors treating her explained it mightiness person travel from sharing a portion vaping oregon kissing idiosyncratic portion she was retired but they couldn't pinpoint the cause. She remarkably passed her driving trial little than a week aft being discharged.

She said: "I'm not a dense drinker and similar the socialising of going out. I had 3 oregon 4 drinks.

“I shared my vape with 3 communal friends and this is not antithetic arsenic everyone shares vapes connected a nighttime out. I didn't deliberation thing of it due to the fact that they were my friends.

“The past happening I retrieve is walking into the infirmary entrance. I cognize I was aching and it was hard to determination truthful I sat successful a wheelchair but past it got blurry. When I woke up a fewer days aboriginal I was inactive beauteous retired of it but was told I had bacterial meningococcus oregon meningitis. It was 1 of the precise fewer cases the infirmary had ever seen.

"It was a truly hard clip but my household visiting maine each time helped the most. My mum came each azygous time and slept implicit a fewer nights truthful I wasn't unsocial each the time."

Kerrie, added: "Myself and the household would truly similar to convey the NNUH doctors, consultants, nurses and everyone other progressive successful Sian's care. The unit successful A&E, resus, ICU and the Heydon Ward truly are amazing."

Dr Tom Nutt, CEO of the foundation Meningitis Now, said: "Bacterial meningitis is simply a life-threatening unwellness that tin onslaught abruptly and advancement rapidly. While not everyone exposed to the bacteria becomes ill, adjacent contacts of idiosyncratic with meningitis are astatine higher hazard and whitethorn necessitate preventive antibiotics. Avoiding the sharing of idiosyncratic items and staying up to day with vaccinations tin assistance trim the hazard of transmission.

"If you fishy meningitis, spot your instincts and question urgent aesculapian attention. Early diagnosis and attraction tin prevention lives."