I thought I just had a hangover – but it was meningitis
Dan Thomas is backing a campaign to retain 24-hour A&E at Royal Glam after staff there saved his life. Health correspondent Mark Smith reports
WHEN Dan Thomas started feeling under the weather and complained of stiffness in his back, he initially put it down to “overdoing it” at the gym.
But days later the teenager collapsed at home and was rushed by ambulance to A&E at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant.
His heartbroken family were told by doctors to prepare for the worst when it was discovered that Dan had meningococcal septicaemia – a life-threatening bacterialinfection of the blood.
“It was the worst time you can possibly imagine,” said his mum Carolyn Thomas.
“I love both my children to bits, so when the consultant said we needed to prepare for the worst – and say our goodbyes to Dan – it was absolutely horrendous.”
Throughout January this year, keen boxer Dan had been suffering with a cold and a cough but thought very little of it.
He had even been well enough to go out partying with his friends in Cardiff the night before his condition took a dramatic turn for the worse 24 hours later. Amazingly, Dan initially thought he was suffering from a bad hangover.
“One Saturday he just said he was feeling a little bit off and went for a nap,” Carolyn recalled.
“After he woke up he said his back was hurting him a bit, but he just put it down to sleeping awkwardly. It didn’t seem particularly odd at the time.
“I have always been paranoid about my children getting meningitis, so I decided to feel his head and it was quite warm. I went out to buy a thermometer and when I tested him his temperature was very high, around 39.5°C. He was also sick.”
The family decided to call the NHS non-emergency number 111 for some advice. Following a series of questions, they were told to take Dan straight to A&E.
But when Dan, who was 18 at the time but has since turned 19, went to the toilet he collapsed and an ambulance was immediately dispatched.
“He started developing a rash right before our eyes,” said Carolyn.
“Little dots began appearing on his skin. It came on so suddenly.
“I thought to myself that it couldn’t be real, but it was. It seemed like a nightmare.”
The ambulance made the five-mile journey from the family’s home in Efail Isaf to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital where Dan was immediately surrounded by medics.
“The ambulance phoned ahead to say there was a potential meningitis case coming in,” Carolyn added.
“As soon as we got there it was absolutely crazy. They did everything they could for Dan. They were throwing everything at him in terms of antibiotics but nothing was working. He just kept getting worse.”
The decision was made to put Dan in an induced coma and place him on a ventilator in intensive care to improve his breathing.
“We were waiting in the family room when a consultant came in to tell me and my husband, Steve, that things were not looking good for our son,” she said.
“By this point he was on the maximum dose of everything. Steve called his mother to collect our daughter, Phoebe, who was also waiting to find out what had happened to her brother.”
For a couple of days, there were discussions around transferring Dan to the Royal Brompton Hospital, London, for specialist treatment.
By this time he was also suffering with compartment syndrome – where pressure builds, restricts blood flow and damages tissue – in both of his hands.
“His hands had gone claw-like,” Carolyn added.
“They had to operate on both arms to relieve the pressure that was building. We thought he might lose limbs.”
Dan was in a coma for eight days and was in intensive care at the Royal Glamorgan for almost a month before being transferred to Morriston Hospital in Swansea for kidney treatment and plastic surgery on his arms.
“He was given skin grafts on his arms which had been taken from his legs,” said Carolyn.
“Dan has always been an optimistic kid, and it took a long time for the reality to really hit him. We decided to gently explain what had happened to him.”
On March 17, when early preparations were being made at Morriston Hospital ahead of the coronavirus outbreak fully taking hold, Dan was discharged home.
“It was happening at a time when there were limits on people coming into the hospital,” she added.
“There was talk of him going back to the Royal Glamorgan, but with everything that was happening with Covid I think they were keen to get him home.”
Reflecting on his horrendous ordeal, Dan said he owes his life to the A&E and intensive care staff at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital.
“I owe them everything, really,” said the former Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School pupil.
“They not only saved my life, but they saved all my limbs too which they didn’t think would be possible.
“I really got to know a lot of the staff – and many became my friends.”
The pair have now joined a campaign to save the Royal Glamorgan A&E department, which is currently under threat of losing its 24-hour emergency care or being shut entirely due to a lack of doctors.
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board said it has made some progress in improving A&E staffing levels, including recruiting a full-time consultant as clinical lead for the department.
The health board is set to make a firm decision on the future status of the emergency unit at a meeting later this month.
Len Arthur, chairman of the Campaign to Save Royal Glamorgan Hospital A&E(SRGAE), said: “We welcome the continuing progress toward making the required appointments at Royal Glamorgan Hospital A&E.
“For us, this is a necessary step toward maintaining the current 24-hour consultant-led service.”