Twin baby battles meningitis
When Tiana Phillips gave birth to her twin girls she was terrified of the measles outbreak gripping the country.
Then four months later one of her babies came within hours of death after an ear infection led to another disease – bacterial meningitis.
Now, as little Aaria Uluave recovers in hospital, Phillips is urging parents to trust their instincts if their child seems ill.
‘‘We thought we were the parents who were a bit too protective – you can never be too careful,’’ the mother-of-three said.
‘‘Had we waited any longer, it could have been a different story.’’
Bacterial meningitis is not contagious but can be fatal.
It is an inflammation of the membranes that line the brain and spinal cord.
Aaria was diagnosed last week after an ear infection spread inward. She is in the children’s ward at Taranaki Base Hospital hooked up to an IV line for regular antibiotics.
Although her future is looking bright, the family still don’t know if there has been any permanent damage.
Phillips, her partner Owen Uluave and their 3-year-old son Lewis welcomed Aaria and Bella into the world during the peak of the measles outbreak.
Phillips said Aaria had always been her ‘‘good twin’’ as she was always placid, could wait longer to be fed, and was generally happier.
Early last week Aaria seemed a little off, but because there was no difference in her feeding and nappy changes, Phillips simply kept a close eye on her.
Hours later the 25-year-old noticed her daughter was limp.
She got someone to care for her other children and drove to hospital, watching Aaria in her rear vision mirror.
Phillips could see her daughter wriggling her arms and feet.
‘‘But when I went to pick her up, her eyes were rolling into the back of her head – the rest was a bit of a blur.’’
Aaria went straight in for testing and Phillips said she was originally told blood tests had showed what her baby had was ‘‘not likely to be life threatening’’.
‘‘It was just an ear infection, every kid gets ear infections.’’
It wasn’t until Aaria had a lumbar puncture, where a needle is inserted into the spinal canal, that the diagnosis was revealed.
Phillips said she had never been so terrified in her life.
‘‘I know how fast it can kill you.’’
Some really tough nights followed for the family and she said it was hard to be calm, ‘‘not when you think you’re going to lose your baby’’.
Going forward, Phillips wants parents to be extra cautious at all times and get their children checked by a medical professional.
‘‘Trust your gut feeling if you think that something is not right.
‘‘Because you never think it will happen to you.’’
A Givealittle page has been started, it is called ‘‘Helping family out while Aaria is in hospital fighting bacterial meningitis’’.