Teen, 18, left fighting for life with ‘brain-swelling bug’ after sharing a vape on a night out
SIAN Alderton never imagined that she would contract a deadly brain-swelling illness from sharing a vaporizer with a friend.
After going out with friends in October, the 18-year-old Norwich, Norfolk, resident contracted bacterial meningitis.
The teen’s body fought the illness, which targets the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, and within days she was placed in a medically induced coma.
Her mother, Kerrie Durrant, 36, stated, “We would need to prepare for the worst and to say our goodbyes as she may not come out.”
Doctors think she may have contracted meningitis by sharing beverages, vaping, or kissing, so Sian and Kerrie are now spreading awareness of the symptoms.
Sian claimed to have shared a vape with her companions when they went out to two clubs on October 18.
Read more on meningitis
“I don’t drink a lot, and I like to go out and socialize. She said, “I had three or four drinks.”
“Everyone shares vapes on a night out, so it’s not odd that I shared mine with three friends.
“I didn’t think anything of it because they were my friends.”
When Sian felt unwell the next day and started throwing up after eating Chinese takeout in the evening, she assumed she had a sickness bug.
But she developed a rash the following day.
“They looked like chicken pox or insect bites but the rash was not raised – it felt smooth to the skin and they were red in colour,” her mother stated.
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The stains did not go away when Kerrie pressed a glass against them, so the two hurried to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
“The last thing I remember is walking into the hospital entrance,” said Sian.
“I know I was aching and it was hard to move so I sat in a wheelchair but then it gets blurry.”
Sian was put into a four-day medically induced coma after being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis within four hours of her arrival at the hospital.
“When I woke up a few days later I was still pretty out of it but was told I had bacterial meningococcus or meningitis,” Sian recalled.
“It was one of a very few cases the hospital had ever seen.”
Although they were unable to identify the cause, the doctors treating her suggested that it might have resulted from sharing a drink while vaping or kissing someone while she was out.
“It was a really difficult time but my family visiting me every day helped the most,” Sian stated.
“My mum came every single day and slept over a few nights so I wasn’t alone all the time.”
Less than a week after being released from the hospital, the teenager miraculously passed her driving test despite spending a total of 14 days there.
‘Trust your instincts’
The CEO of the nonprofit organization Meningitis Now, Dr. Tom Nutt, stated: “Bacterial meningitis is a potentially fatal condition that can develop quickly and strike without warning.
Close contacts of a person who has meningitis are more vulnerable and may need preventive medications, even though not everyone exposed to the bacteria gets sick.
“The risk of transmission can be decreased by avoiding the sharing of personal belongings and maintaining current immunizations.
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“Trust your gut and get medical help right away if you think you may have meningitis.
“Early diagnosis and treatment can save lives.”
Everything you need to know about meningitis
Meningitis is a rare but dangerous disease that can lead to fatal complications and other life-threatening conditions.
The meningococcal bacteria is what causes it.
Although it can afflict anyone, babies, young children, teenagers, and young people are most likely to experience it.
In addition to attacking the lining of the brain and spinal cord, meningitis can occasionally result in sepsis, a dangerous blood infection.
Meningitis’s early symptoms can occasionally resemble those of the flu, but they can also spread swiftly and be lethal.
Meningitis symptoms can appear suddenly and include:
- A high temperature (fever) over 37.5C (99.5F)
- Being sick
- A headache
- A blotchy rash that doesn t fade when a glass is rolled over it (this won t always develop)
- A stiff neck
- A dislike of bright lights
- Drowsiness or unresponsiveness
- Seizures (fits)
Some of these symptoms may not show up at all, while others may show up in any sequence.
When to seek medical attention
If you are worried that you or your kid may have meningitis, you should consult a doctor right once.
Don’t wait till a rash appears; follow your gut.
If you or your kid seem very ill, call 999 for an ambulance or head straight to your local accident and emergency (A&E) department.
If you’re unsure if it’s something serious or you believe you may have been into contact with someone who has meningitis, call 111 or your general practitioner’s office for assistance.
How the disease is transmitted
A bacterial or viral infection is typically the cause of meningitis. Compared to viral meningitis, bacterial meningitis is less common but more dangerous.
Meningitis-causing infections can be transmitted by:
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Kissing
- Sharing utensils, cutlery and toothbrushes
Meningitis is typically contracted from healthy individuals who have these bacteria or viruses in their throat or nose.
Although it is less frequent, it can also be contracted from a person who has meningitis.
Immunizations
Immunizations provide some defense against specific meningitis causes.
Among them are the
- Meningitis B vaccine offered to babies aged 8 weeks, followed by a second dose at 16 weeks, and a booster at 1 year
- 6-in-1 vaccine offered to babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age
- Pneumococcal vaccine offered to babies at 12 weeks and between 12 and 13 months old
- Meningitis C vaccine offered at 12 weeks of age, 1 year
- MMR vaccine offered to babies at 1 year and a second dose at 3 years and 4 months
- Meningitis ACWY vaccine offered to teenagers who are in S3 (around 14 years of age) at school. Young people who are in S4-S6 and missed the opportunity to get immunised last year, may also get the vaccine at school this year
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