A TEENAGER was left paralysed from the neck down after being struck by meningitis – but is defying the odds with her recovery.

Megan Middleton was hours from death when she was rushed to York Hospital last October after suddenly falling ill.

Doctors feared she might not pull through, but the 18-year-old, from Heworth, York, is now making good progress. She has begun intensive physiotherapy and has regained some movement in her arms and legs. She is now receiving specialist care at Pinderfields Hospital, in Wakefield.

Megan’s sister, Aislinn, 16, said: “It all happened so quickly. There was literally no warning of how ill she was to become.”

Megan was rushed into hospital on October 28 after a week of visits to the doctor and hospital had failed to identify what was wrong. She was put into a coma and transferred to Hull Royal Infirmary for an MRI scan and Aislinn said: “The doctor said that if he didn’t operate straight away then she would die.”

Part of Megan’s brain had ruptured because the meningitis bacteria caused the brain lining to swell.

Megan’s family prayed for a positive outcome as doctors operated for two hours, then had another agonising wait for her to emerge from the coma.

The part of her brain responsible for personality was not affected, but damage caused to her brain stem meant she was paralysed from the neck down and barely able to move her face.

Aislinn, a student at York College, said: “We were so relieved that she was still herself and hadn’t been brain damaged in a way which would affect her personality.

“But we knew it was a long, hard road ahead. No one was able to say whether she would get better or not, but she’s been so strong and amazed us every day.

“The staff at York Hospital have been amazing and Megan’s now able to move some of her limbs and lift her head up. Her muscles have wasted from her being so ill and immobile, but we’re confident that will improve.”

There will be a gig at Stereo in Gillygate, at 7.30pm on Sunday, March 6, to raise money for Meningitis UK. Megan’s friend Josh Nash, of metal band You Cried Wolf, has organised the evening. Admission is £4.

For more information, phone 0117 373 7373 or visit www.meningitisuk.org


Meningitis fact file

• Symptoms include headache, stiff neck and dislike of bright light, difficulty supporting own weight, fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, confusion and drowsiness.

• Meningitis can cause septicaemia, which leads to aching limbs, cold hands and feet and a rash.

• If you suspect anything is wrong, seek medical help immediately.

• Those most at risk are babies, under-fives, people aged 16-24 and the elderly.

• Each year 300 people die and hundreds more are left with permanent disabilities.

• No vaccine exists for Meningitis B, which accounts for 90 per cent of meningococcal cases.