WHEN Zara Cheesman fell ill with a “vomiting bug”, ambulance workers acknowledged she was “clearly a very ill child”, but advised she just “sleep it off”.
But the next morning the 15-year-old collapsed and went into respiratory failure – and her parents were told she would have “almost certainly” survived if she’d been taken to A&E earlier.
2
2
Zara, from Nottingham, died from meningitis on December 23 last year – an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord which can be easily treated, but can also trigger life-threatening complications.
Her parents now claim their concerns over their daughter’s health were “ignored or misunderstood” by East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) technicians when they failed to transport her to hospital.
This was just one of several potential missed opportunities to treat Zara sooner, Nottingham Coroner’s Court heard on September 10.
These included a trip to A&E at the Queen‘s Medical Centre (QMC), when she was sent home with a suspected vomiting bug.
Zara’s parents Judith and Mark, from Mapperley Park in Nottingham, were told by medics she “almost certainly” would have survived had there been an earlier intervention.
“This was one of the hardest things to hear. We were devastated by this,” they said in a statement read out during her inquest.
“Meningitis is easily treated with antibiotics and it feels like treatment in the UK has gone back in time. It’s a very treatable disease.”
They said Zara’s loss had “left an enormous hole in our lives”, adding: “Her life was extinguished by individual and organisational incompetence. It’s impossible to describe the pain we’ve experienced.”
Zara’s ill health began on December 19, when she returned home from school with a fever and vomiting before collapsing later that evening.
The next morning, Judith and mark were advised by 111 to take her to A&E.
After assessments at the hospital, they were told Zara had a vomiting bug and advised the family to go home.
But Judith and Mark were left “frustrated” a blood test wasn’t carried out, and “devastated and upset meningitis hadn’t been ruled out at this time.
The following morning, on December 20, Zara woke up “confused and made no sense when she talked”.
Her parents recalled her stripping her clothes off in the kitchen and wetting herself on a chair.
“She didn’t seem to know we were there,” they said. “It was entirely out of character.”
Two EMAS ambulance technicians arrived at the family home at 12:15pm, and while they acknowledged Zara was “clearly a very ill child” they advised her to “sleep it off”.
Her parents said they were told it was norovirus and there was no possibility of meningitis.
If they had taken her to the QM, a 10-minute ride in an ambulance, we believe Zara would have survived
Judith and Mark Cheesman
They recalled: “If they had taken her to the QM, a 10-minute ride in an ambulance, we believe Zara would have survived.
“This was the most traumatic time as it was probably the last chance to save her.”
It was in the early hours of the next morning Zara kept collapsing and became limp.
Before paramedics arrived to take her to QMC she had gone into respiratory failure – and her parents were told she would not survive.
But they did say had she been taken to hospital on the Saturday she would have survived, and would have “almost certainly” survived had she been given antibiotics on her visit to A&E.
Judith paid tribute to her daughter in court, and described her as “incredibly kind, empathetic and intelligent”.
She added: “Every emotion was worn for us all to see. She was a force of nature to behold. An undiluted energy source.”
What is meningitis?
Meningitis can be mistaken as the flu or even a hangover – but knowing the symptoms could save your life.
It’s the inflammation of the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord and can be caused by meningococcal bacteria and viral meningitis.
Meningococcal bacteria enters the bloodstream, whereas viral meningitis can come from other infections, such as mumps.
If it’s not treated quickly, meningitis can cause life-threatening septicaemia (blood poisoning) and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves.
Find out the symptoms to look out for below…
Know the signs of meningitis and septicaemia
Meningitis is inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord – the meninges.
Septicaemia is blood poisoning caused by the same germs as meningitis and is life-threatening. It can occur with or without meningitis.
Both meningitis and septicaemia can kill in hours, so it is critical to know the symptoms so you can act fast.
Symptoms can appear in any order and not all of them show. For example, the meningitis rash does not always appear.
It can be hard to tell meningitis/septicaemia apart from other common bugs.
The symptoms marked with a * indicate those that are more specific to meningitis/septicaemia and are rarer with common bugs.
Symptoms of both septicaemia and meningitis
- Fever and/or vomiting
- Very sleepy, vacant or difficult to wake
- Confused/delirious*
- A rash, which can be anywhere on the body*
Additional symptoms of meningitis
- Severe headache
- Seizures
- Dislike of bright lights
- Stiff neck*
Additional symptoms of septicaemia
- Breathing fast/breathlessness
- Pale or mottled skin
- Limb/muscle/joint pain, which may come with stomach pain or diarrhoea *
- Cold hands, feet or shivering*
Source: Meningitis Research Foundation
