“Niamh made the call at the right time. If she hadn’t done, she could have woken up next to me dead.”
Becca, from Southampton, contracted meningitis at university. It is thanks to the quick thinking of her friend, who called an ambulance when Becca was poorly and getting worse, that she can tell us her story.
We have created a short film about Becca's experience which you can watch here, and you can read her story below.
“In November 2018, six weeks after starting at the University of Southampton, I contracted meningitis.
“I’d had a normal day and been out to dinner with some friends. I felt fine in the evening and had a fairly early night.
“At some point in the early hours I woke up and started vomiting. After a couple of hours we started to think ‘something’s not quite right here’.
“I didn’t have a rash or any of the key things people think of when they think of meningitis.
“I had a friend with me from home, Niamh. She called 111 for me. They sent an ambulance and I went into hospital.
Told to prepare for the worst
“A few hours later I was put in an induced coma and moved to intensive care. I did get a rash eventually, which was why they looked into it being meningitis, but it wasn’t until I was in the coma.
“I was in the coma for two weeks, during which my family were told to prepare for the worst.
“The next thing I remember is, at some point, waking up from the coma. I remember looking down at my body and seeing that my hands and feet had turned black. That’s when they told me it was meningococcal septicaemia.
“I lost both my legs below the knee and fingers on both hands. I spent seven weeks in rehabilitation and then was discharged from hospital, learning to walk on prosthetic legs.
“I spent nearly four months in hospital and several more recovering at home.
Absolutely amazing hand transplant
“I returned to university in 2020 to complete my degree. I am now 25, a medical student and I am currently doing a Masters in Medical Science.
“With my background in medicine and healthcare I can be quite matter of fact about it but I know, for my family, it was hardest time ever.
“It was about a year after it happened before I even heard of a transplant.
“It was a long process of meeting the team, going through all the testing and getting onto the list.
“I was fortunate to receive a hand transplant in Leeds in 2023, which has been absolutely amazing! My function is really quite good with it and I am still doing physiotherapy to help improve this. I am also gaining sensation in my new hand now, so I can feel warmth, cold and some textures.
“Although my life has a new ‘normal’, I’m very grateful that I am living my life still. Everything is going well and I hope to graduate in 2027 as a doctor.
Amazing support from Meningitis Now
“The support my family and I received from Meningitis Now at one of the hardest times was amazing.
“They offered a range of support including counselling and peer support through their Believe & Achieve programme for young people. The process was easy and accessible to us!
“Thankfully, our experience is now in the past and we continue living our lives!
“We are now keen to help support other families affected by this disease.”
Becca's video, along with two others filmed with support of GSK funding, are available in our digital pack for universities, which you can request to download here.
Watch a short video of Becca's experience here.