Before meningitis and after meningitis
Cieran Burke
Hi, I'm Sue Mum to Cieran He is 13 months old and we live in St Helens
in the Uk,
Cieran Contracted Meningitis in February 2005.. I took him to the
doctors on 31st Jan he had a high temperature but was shivering a slight
rash appeared on him in the surgery i asked our GP could this be the start
of meningitis I was told no its a virus and sent home with infant
paracetamol..
After speaking to two more doctors the same day i was told the same
things so i convinced my self i was worrying over nothing!! The next day
Tuesday Cieran was very sleepy and refusing feeds but i believed upon
advice he was sleeping it off... the next day he was no better so i
returned to the doctors she said she was 90% sure he was fine and that she
would ask the hospital to check him over upon arrival at the hospital he
was placed on iv fluids and a lumbar puncture was taken.. The next day it
was confirmed that Cieran had meningococcal meningitis.. After 10 days on
antibiotics Cierans white blood cell count was very high and it was that
night that he began to have seizures and went into status epileptics which
resulted in him being resuscitated and placed in intensive care on a
ventilator
a Ct scan showed brain abnormalities although the doctors think that he
may have already had problems as he was slightly developmentally delayed.
Now Cieran is also profoundly deaf and hearing aids are not working the
latest scans have shown that his ears are beginning to ossify and therefor
a cochlear implant will be performed urgently,. Cieran has also been left
very hypotonic he cannot sit unsupported and supported is for a few
seconds about enough time to take a photo, He is also on phenobarbitone
twice daily to control seizures..
Thanks
for listening
Sue