12-Year -Old Girl Left Fighting for Life as Doctors Dismissed Meningitis as Common Colds

A mother shares her harrowing experience of how her 12-year-old daughter, Harri, was left fighting for life after doctors dismissed her symptoms as common cold before she was diagnosed with meningitis.

According to the mother, Toni Tuson, her daughter had a running nose and headache for a week before her temperature spiked, prompting her mom to take her to the hospital. The girl was sent home, with doctors ruling it a common cold. However, Tuson had to rush her daughter later that night after the child suffered a seizure. The scans later revealed that she had bacterial meningitis and deadly inflammation in her brain, as per Mirror. 

Mistaken as a common cold

 Harri Tuson had a fever, runny nose, and headache for a week. When the mom took her to the hospital, the medical personnel told her that it was a common cold, despite a blood test indicating that the girl had markers suggesting an infection. Toni said she even had to push for a blood test.

The mom said that when the doctors discharged her daughter, she had a feeling that the doctors were wrong. According to Tori, in hindsight, she should not have left with the benefit of all the research she has done. However, she had already spent eight hours in the emergency room, and she was made to feel that she was a "neurotic parent" as there was nothing wrong. Hence, she had to trust the doctor's advice and head home, as per Davenport Journal .

However, things turned for worse that night. Tori said that her daughter was staring right through her, and she looked brain damaged. She noticed that one pupil was bigger than the other. She later found out that her daughter was having a seizure.

Harri was brought to King's College in London for an MRI scan. She was later diagnosed with meningitis.

Doctors also discovered that the young girl had encephalitis, inflammation, and fluid collection of the brain. Doctors advised that they would have to do surgery to release the pressure from her brain.

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Meningitis

According to WebMD, meningitis is a rare infection that affects the delicate membrane, the meninges, covering the brain and the spinal cord. There are several types of meningitis, but bacterial meningitis is an "extremely serious illness" as it can be life-threatening or lead to brain damage if not given immediate intervention.

Its symptoms include confusion, fever, headache, numbness in the face, upset stomach or vomiting, sensitivity to light, seizures, lack of appetite, lack of thirst, and skin rash.

Doctors said she started with a cold in Harri's case, but her sinus infection moved towards her brain and irritated her sinuses.

Harri spent one week in an induced coma and was put on antibiotics. On the 6th day, Harri woke up. Her mom said she tried to scream, but no words would come out. She had no emotions and was unable to finish a sentence. Every day, however, they would see signs of improvement like the movement of her lips. Harri spent three weeks in the hospital and eight weeks learning to walk again.

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