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Clinical Negligence Solicitors
A teenager shared photos of her body to raise awareness of meningitis when diagnosed late (12 October 2016)
Date: 12/10/2016
Charlene Colechin, an eighteen-year-old teenager from Chesterfield in Derbyshire, has shared photos of her body online after she was treated for bacterial meningitis. She hopes that sharing her photos will raise awareness and prevent other people from suffering the life-changing effects of the disease.
She remained in the hospital for a month and spent nine days in a medically induced coma. She still faces surgery to remove her toes and possibly her feet. Despite the fact that she had been vaccinated, the jab did not protect against the type of meningitis she had.
As recently reported in the BBC News article, according to Claire Donovan of Meningitis Now, the rash on Charlene’s body would have been caused by septicaemia, which some people get as a result of certain meningitis bacteria. There are an estimated 3,200 cases of bacterial meningitis and septicaemia each year in the UK.
As a matter of fact, meningitis is often misdiagnosed or diagnosed late. One in 10 people may die while a third of survivors could be left with lifelong after-effects such as hearing loss, epilepsy, limb loss or learning difficulties. In the past 20 years, vaccines have been developed to give protection against some types of meningitis but not against all types.
Rebecca Thomas, Director of Clinical (Medical) Negligence at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, stated: “Any coverage that helps to raise awareness of the potentially devastating effects of viral or bacterial meningitis is a good thing. Charlene will certainly have to undergo surgery and is facing a long recovery. Of those patients who survive bacterial meningitis 22% end up with moderate or severe disability. The rates of identifying and treating meningitis are improving but unfortunately, because the early symptoms are similar to symptoms present in other illness, the correct diagnosis is not always made or is made at a later stage when the effects of the illness are worse”.
Our broad clinical negligence practice handles a vast array of claims including head and spinal injury cases, claims arising from childbirth, GP negligence claims and misdiagnoses and delay in treating cancers.
If you or a loved one has suffered negligent medical treatment, please contact Duncan Lewis specialist Clinical Negligence team on 0333 772 0409.