‘ I feared losing both of my beautiful babies’
Mum recalls terror after deadly bug strikes down twins
little heart raced well above 200 beats per minute.
“She was in such pain she could not bear to be held.
“As soon as we arrived, Lottie was rushed to resus where doctors inserted a cannula in her tiny hand and started infusing antiviral and antibiotic drugs into her.
“They turned to us and said, ‘we feel Lottie has a virus, possibly meningitis. We need to carry out a lumber puncture’.
“The words were chilling. We were terrified. I hadn’t wanted to
Twin girls Zara and Lottie survived the serious bug. ask if she had meningitis and if she would die.
“It was then I told doctors that she was a twin and my fear was that Zara would be next.”
Within three days of Lottie’s diagnosis, Zara’s temperature began to soar. Catherine said: “By then, Lottie was turning the corner and I thought Zara would be ok.
“Our babies were only 17 days old and we were in a very scary place.”
The poorly infants were treated in the same infectious diseases ward, in rooms next door to each Relieved
mum Catherine
with twin girls Lottie and Zara other. The twins’ parents Richard and Catherine kept a vigil at each child’s bedside.
Within four days, Lottie was responding to the drugs and doctors assured Catherine and Richard that they were 100% sure she would recover.
How e v e r, Zara was more seriously affected.
“She had to be given oxygen and a feeding tube was inserted in her because she couldn’t bear to take a bottle,” Catherine said.
“Her heart raced to 240 beats a minute and her temperature remained high.”
As they monitored her, doctors noticed that Zara had a heart defect.
“They picked up a narrowing of the pulmonary artery but it does not need surgery or treatment, just monitoring,” Catherine explained.
Just as quickly as they became dangerously ill, the infants recovered.
Within a week they were out of hospital, feeding well and happy to be cuddled.
Catherine smiled and said: “Babies become ill quickly and recover just as fast.”
Meningitis campaigner Prof Robert Carachi, said: “The warning signs are a piercing cry which signals that the baby is in pain, especially when they are held and cuddled.
“High temperatures can also signal serious illness in babies.”