Latest news with #bacterialmeningitis
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Teenager left fighting for her life after ear infection on idyllic Greek holiday
A British teenager holidaying on an idyllic Greek island has been left fighting for her life after an ear infection turned into a nightmare health battle. Millie Bayles, 19, now remains in intensive care at an Athens hospital after jetting out on a sunshine holiday to the island of Rhodes. Her family said she first noticed symptoms of an ear infection – but it turned into something much more serious. Millie, who comes from North Wales, was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis – leaving her family with a AU$82,000 bill to get her home. She was moved 480km from the island to intensive care in the Greek capital. The teenager, who is said to be out of immediate danger, remains in a semiconscious state. Mum Lauren Murphy and stepfather Pete flew out to be by her side as doctors battle to get her well. Millie unfortunately failed to take out travel insurance when she went with friends for the summer break. Her mum has now received a quote for tens of thousands of dollars to pay for her medical bills and bring her back to the UK. Lauren has been left no choice but to turn to the public for help to pay for her treatment – which includes a private medical emergency flight. The family have reached their AU$82,000 target on their appeal with more than 900 donations from family, friends and even strangers – and hope to get Millie home soon. Lauren said: 'We are now at the stage where we can look to bring Millie back to the UK. 'She is out of immediate danger, but she has a long road to recovery ahead of her.' 'She is still only semiconscious, and we have yet to see how badly this illness will have affected her brain in the long term. 'Unfortunately, due to being an invincible young person, Millie neglected to take out any holiday insurance, and so we have to fund her medical flight home privately. 'We desperately need help to get our girl back to her home country so she can continue her recovery process.' Stepfather Pete Murphy said: 'I am so overwhelmed by the immediate generosity of all of you lovely people and plenty that are certainly not on my friend list. 'Myself, Lauren and Millie are so grateful for your kind donations. Millie has got a long battle ahead but she certainly has a lot of people routing for her and we can't thank you enough for that.' Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges). It can be very serious if not treated quickly – it can cause life-threatening sepsis and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves. Symptoms typically include a high temperature (fever), being sick, a headache, a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (but a rash will not always develop), a stiff neck, a dislike of bright lights, drowsiness or unresponsiveness and seizures (fits).
The Sun
6 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Brit teen left fighting for her life after ear infection on idyllic Greek holiday turned into nightmare health battle
A BRIT teen holidaying on an idyllic Greek island has been left fighting for her life after an ear infection turned into a nightmare health battle. Millie Bayles, 19, now remains in intensive care at an Athens hospital after jetting out on a sunshine holiday to the island of Rhodes. 5 5 Her family said she first noticed symptoms of an ear infection - but it turned into something much more serious. Millie, who comes from North Wales, was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis - leaving her family with a £40,000 bill to get her home. She was moved 300 miles from the island to intensive care in the Greek capital. The Brit teen, who is said to be out of immediate danger, remains in a semi-conscious state. Mum Lauren Murphy and stepfather Pete flew out to be by her side as doctors battle to get her well. Millie unfortunately failed to take out travel insurance when she went with friends for the summer break. Her mum has now received a quote for tens of thousands of pounds to pay for her medical bills and bring her back to the UK. Lauren has been left no choice but to turn to the public for help to pay for her treatment - which includes a private medical emergency flight. The family have reached their £40,000 target on their appeal with more than 900 donations from family, friends and even strangers - and hope to get Millie home soon. Lauren said: "We are now at the stage where we can look to bring Millie back to the UK. I caught brain-swelling virus after snorkelling on holiday "She is out of immediate danger, but she has a long road to recovery ahead of her." "She is still only semi-conscious, and we have yet to see how badly this illness will have affected her brain in the long term. "Unfortunately, due to being an invincible young person, Millie neglected to take out any holiday insurance, and so we have to fund her medical flight home privately. "We desperately need help to get our girl back to her home country so she can continue her recovery process." Step-father Pete Murphy said: "I am so overwhelmed by the immediate generosity of all of you lovely people and plenty that are certainly not on my friend list. "Myself, Lauren and Millie are so grateful for your kind donations. Millie has got a long battle ahead but she certainly has a lot of people routing for her and we can't thank you enough for that." What is meningitis and how you can you avoid getting it? MENINGITIS is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges). It can be very serious if not treated quickly - it can cause life-threatening sepsis and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves. Symptoms include: a high temperature (fever) being sick a headache a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (but a rash will not always develop) a stiff neck a dislike of bright lights drowsiness or unresponsiveness seizures (fits) Call 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest A&E immediately if you think you or someone you look after could have meningitis or sepsis. Meningitis is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Bacterial meningitis is rarer but more serious than viral meningitis. Infections that cause meningitis can be spread through: sneezing coughing kissing Vaccinations offer some protection against certain causes of meningitis. These include the: MenB vaccine – offered to babies aged 8 weeks, followed by a second dose at 16 weeks and a booster at 1 year 6-in-1 vaccine – offered to babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age pneumococcal vaccine – 2 doses offered to babies at 12 weeks and 1 year, and a single dose offered to adults aged 65 or over Hib/MenC vaccine – offered to babies at 1 year of age MMR vaccine – offered to babies at 1 year and a second dose at 3 years and 4 months MenACWY vaccine – offered to teenagers, sixth formers and "fresher" students going to university for the first time Source: NHS 5 5
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Six-month-old dies from bacterial meningitis after being rescued from mold-ridden condemned house
A six-month-old baby died from bacterial meningitis after he was rescued from a mold-ridden condemned house in Minnesota. On Friday, police responded to a medical call at the home in Big Lake, Minnesota, and found six-month-old Gideon Peter Mwangi unresponsive and not breathing, Fox 9 reported. Big Lake is a city about 40 miles northwest of Minneapolis. Police said that officers responding to a 911 call found an 'extremely dirty and cluttered house' with 'black mold in numerous locations throughout the house.' Officials say first responders administered life-saving measures on Mwangi, but the infant was unable to be saved, KARE 11 reported. The infant was determined to have died from bacterial meningitis - a deadly infection near the brain. Meanwhile, neighbors told Fox 9 that they had called the police over concerns about the safety of the nine children living in the house. The home has since been deemed unlivable by health officials, according to the report. It was not immediately clear what happened to the other children living in the home after it was found to be in such poor condition. Bacterial meningitis is a serious infection that can quickly worsen, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. It can cause brain damage, seizures, paralysis, or stroke, and in some cases can be fatal. Experts aren't sure why the disease occurs, however, it is most common in infants younger than a year and people ages 16 to 21. Symptoms of bacterial meningitis include a painful stiff neck, headaches, high fever, rashes and bruises. Other symptoms to look for in children include irritability, vomiting from a high fever, frequent crying, swelling of the head, lack of appetite and seizures. Experts say these symptoms come on quickly, and anyone who thinks they may be infected should head to an emergency room immediately. The investigation into Mwangi's death remains ongoing. No arrests had been made in the case as of Tuesday. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Community rallies to help daughter of retired WBAY anchor Kevin Rompa as she recovers from illness
One of the hallmarks of Kevin Rompa's noon newscasts on WBAY-TV was the countless local nonprofits he invited on as guests to talk about their work to help others. Now it's Green Bay's time to help him. Friends, family and members of the community are rallying to support the retired WBAY anchor's 38-year-old daughter, Vanessa Rompa, as she recovers from a serious illness that left her hospitalized for seven weeks. Vanessa was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis after being found unconscious in her apartment on April 9. An ear infection developed into the rare and life-threatening condition that causes inflammation of the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. In an interview with WBAY, Rompa recalled the doctors saying how 'very, very, very sick' his daughter was when she was rushed to the hospital. She spent two weeks on life support in the intensive care unit and has had to learn to walk and talk again. Her recovery from the brain injury continues with therapy as she works toward getting her independence back. It has been a long and harrowing journey of ups and downs for the Rompa family. "To go to the hospital every day, morning and night, for seven weeks, it felt like seven years," Rompa told WBAY. "To watch your youngest child struggle to regain what she once had, and she's still on that journey, but she's made great strides in recent weeks." A fundraiser from 1 to 5 p.m. June 29 at Stadium View Sports Bar & Event Halls in Ashwaubenon will help with the costs of her lengthy hospital stay and being unable to work. Rompa's former colleague at WBAY, recently retired evening news anchor Bill Jartz, and 95.9 KISS-FM morning show co-host Otis Day will be the hosts of Rally for Vanessa, which includes silent and oral auctions, raffles, music, games, balloon animals and appetizers. Among the items Jartz will auction off live are a signed Green Bay Packers print, a recliner, a smokeless outdoor firepit and a camping package with a Blackstone grill. Businesses or individuals wishing to donate items for the silent auction, including gift certificates, sports tickets and themed baskets, can drop them off until 1 p.m. June 27 at Margrarita's in Ashwaubenon, where Vanessa has been a longtime employee. "Vanessa has been behind Magarita's bar for over 19 years, and if you have ever pulled up a stool, chances are you have been greeted by her big grin and larger-than-life personality," Margarita's wrote in a June 22 Facebook post. More: Riverside Ballroom benefit to help The Glam Band's Dennis Peters with medical costs for cancer The Mexican restaurant at 1241 Lombardi Access Road will also host a benefit called Vanessa's Happy Hour from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 14. All money spent on alcohol that day will support Vanessa. A GoFundMe established in mid-April by Vanessa's best friend, Katie Blackford, has raised $22,894 of its $80,000 goal as of June 23. Kevin, who retired from WBAY in 2021 after 32 years as the station's original morning anchor, said his family is grateful for the outpouring. 'This whole thing is so humbling, right, and you think your life is just going fine and then this happens and then these people just pick you up, you know?' an emotional Rompa told WBAY. 'It's just ... you can't say enough.' Kendra Meinert is an entertainment and feature writer at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at 920-431-8347 or kmeinert@ Follow her on X @KendraMeinert. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Rally for Vanessa to benefit former WBAY anchor Kevin Rompa's daughter
