Lilly’s story

Originally misdiagnosed with a virus she was later found to have Meningitis B (menB) and septicaemia. Fortunately, the cheeky youngster has bounced back. Natalie tells their story.

“Out of the blue Lilly got a high temperature after being fine all day. I had a feeling something wasn't right as Calpol wasn't bringing her temperature down. I decided to take her to an out of hours GP, and, after seeing a doctor, Lilly was sent home, diagnosed with a virus."

“I stayed next to her all night monitoring her temperature. The next morning Lilly was moaning and crying and just wanted to be cuddled. I put her down for a nap and when she woke up an hour later she just looked at me as if to say ‘help me mummy’. At that point I picked her up out of her cot and she vomited everywhere; I've never seen so much sick come from a baby."

“I dressed her in a babygrow and put her straight in the car and we drove back up to the GP surgery, next to A & E, where I ran in with her and demanded to be seen straight away."

“A triage nurse saw us straight away and called for a senior nurse. After taking a few observations the senior nurse took us straight round to A & E, and we were rushed into paediatrics, where they tried to locate Lilly's veins so they could extract blood and administer fluid as she was very dehydrated from being so sick."

“When they were unable to find any veins they needed to drill into her shins. Traumatic as this was it was necessary to save her life. Once they stabilised Lilly they admitted her to a ward where she had a lumbar punch to confirm meningitis. After seven days on the ward, countless needles, blood tests, antibiotics and steroids our baby girl was discharged having made a full recovery. She is now a beautiful, cheeky two-year- old with normal development and no apparent lasting damage.”