Latest news with #meningitis
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'I thought Tourette's was about swearing'
Yasmin Bartle was 20 when she was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. As part of Tourette's Awareness Month, she opened up about how a shopping trip led to a confrontation. As a child, Ms Bartle said she had "a few little quirks" including involuntary arm movements and making whistling noises. "There was a peak when I was probably around 10 or 11 and we were going through SATs [primary school exams]." Ms Bartle said the symptoms became less frequent until she contracted meningitis in 2019, an infection that affects the brain and spinal cord, according to the NHS. "We [the family] noticed these little things were becoming more frequent," she said. On one occasion, she said she was queuing in a shop and suddenly threw a bottle across the store. "I was so shocked because I didn't know where it had come from or what had just happened," she said. "My arm was always flying out to the side and I had a lot of head and neck tics and a few little noises." Ms Bartle was initially diagnosed with tics before being told she had Tourette Syndrome a year later. The 25-year-old from Hull said she was confused and "in denial." She said, like many people, she thought Tourette's was about swearing and she did not swear. "I was embarrassed and I hardly left my house," she said. On another occasion, Ms Bartle was in a grocery store and called out "alcoholic". She said another customer thought she was referring to them because they had a bottle in their hand and it escalated into an argument. She said: "I'm trying to say I have Tourette Syndrome. I'm really sorry and they didn't believe me." Ms Bartle said things began to improve for her when she said she was taken to a support group run by the TIC Yorkshire charity in Hull. "I realised, actually, there are a lot more people here that are a lot more like me and going through what I'm going through," she said. A year after being introduced to the charity, Ms Bartle became a volunteer. She said she wanted to challenge misconceptions about the condition. She said, when the charity tells people their child may be experiencing tics or Tourette's, parents feel relieved their child does not swear. Coprolalia, which, according to the NHS, is an involuntary use of obscene words or socially inappropriate remarks, is not the worst symptom, she added. Ms Bartle, who has written a book about the condition, said it was the mental tics, the compulsions and pain that most people with Tourette's would rather take away. She said it was important to research and understand the condition and urged those suffering to reach out for help. Tourette's Awareness Month takes place between 15 May and 15 June. This year's theme is being misunderstood due to public perceptions often shaped by stigma, jokes, and misinformation. According to the NHS, tics are fast, repetitive muscle movements that result in sudden and difficult to control body jolts or sounds. Tourette's Syndrome is a term that is used when tics have lasted for more than a year. According to the charity Tourette's Action, the condition affects one school child in every one hundred and is more common among boys. It says over 300,000 children and adults are living with the condition in the UK. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. 'I was commonly told I was faking my Tourette's' 'Ticket kiosk closure could trigger my Tourette's' NHS T.I.C. Yorkshire Tourette's Action BBC Action Line
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Hull woman says Tourette's Syndrome is not all about swearing
Yasmin Bartle was 20 when she was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. As part of Tourette's Awareness Month, she opened up about how a shopping trip led to a a child, Ms Bartle said she had "a few little quirks" including involuntary arm movements and making whistling noises."There was a peak when I was probably around 10 or 11 and we were going through SATs [primary school exams]."Ms Bartle said the symptoms became less frequent until she contracted meningitis in 2019, an infection that affects the brain and spinal cord, according to the NHS."We [the family] noticed these little things were becoming more frequent," she one occasion, she said she was queuing in a shop and suddenly threw a bottle across the store."I was so shocked because I didn't know where it had come from or what had just happened," she said. "My arm was always flying out to the side and I had a lot of head and neck tics and a few little noises." 'I was in denial' Ms Bartle was initially diagnosed with tics before being told she had Tourette Syndrome a year 25-year-old from Hull said she was confused and "in denial."She said, like many people, she thought Tourette's was about swearing and she did not swear."I was embarrassed and I hardly left my house," she another occasion, Ms Bartle was in a grocery store and called out "alcoholic". She said another customer thought she was referring to them because they had a bottle in their hand and it escalated into an said: "I'm trying to say I have Tourette Syndrome. I'm really sorry and they didn't believe me."Ms Bartle said things began to improve for her when she said she was taken to a support group run by the TIC Yorkshire charity in Hull."I realised, actually, there are a lot more people here that are a lot more like me and going through what I'm going through," she said. A year after being introduced to the charity, Ms Bartle became a volunteer. She said she wanted to challenge misconceptions about the said, when the charity tells people their child may be experiencing tics or Tourette's, parents feel relieved their child does not which, according to the NHS, is an involuntary use of obscene words or socially inappropriate remarks, is not the worst symptom, she added. Ms Bartle, who has written a book about the condition, said it was the mental tics, the compulsions and pain that most people with Tourette's would rather take said it was important to research and understand the condition and urged those suffering to reach out for Awareness Month takes place between 15 May and 15 June. This year's theme is being misunderstood due to public perceptions often shaped by stigma, jokes, and misinformation. What are tics and Tourette's Syndrome? According to the NHS, tics are fast, repetitive muscle movements that result in sudden and difficult to control body jolts or Syndrome is a term that is used when tics have lasted for more than a to the charity Tourette's Action, the condition affects one school child in every one hundred and is more common among boys. It says over 300,000 children and adults are living with the condition in the UK. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Hospital neglect a factor in girl's meningitis death
The death of five-year-old girl who was sent home from hospital with suspected tonsillitis hours before dying from meningitis was contributed to by neglect, an inquest jury has Marsland was examined by various medics over several hours at Tameside Hospital in Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside, on 27 December despite displaying several warning signs of meningitis no one began the treatment which could have saved her life, Manchester South Coroner's Court mother Rachael Mincherton said lessons must be learned from her death. The trust which runs the hospital said it "accepts the findings and apologises unreservedly". Ms Mincherton, of Hyde, Greater Manchester, described her as "a lively and vibrant little girl" who was thriving at school and enjoying time with her friends. She took her to the hospital's A&E after finding her lethargic, with a headache and a worryingly fast heartbeat, the inquest mother, who was a nurse at the same hospital at the time, said she queried whether Lila could have jury heard her neck was so stiff and painful that various clinicians over several hours were unable to complete a standard test which would have pointed towards meningitis. Another test on her legs should have raised warning signs but failed to do so and medical staff thought she had tonsillitis, the court was nine hours after she had arrived, Lila was discharged from the observation ward and sent home with her over seven hours after that she was pronounced dead by paramedics after her mother woke to find her witness Dr Philip Chetcuti previously told the court had Lila been given intravenous antibiotics in the first three hours of her time there, she would probably have inquest heard Lila was never fully examined for a rash - only her chest and back - and the test on her neck was never fully carried out, partly because each person assumed that someone else had already done she went from clinician to clinician, her notes were recorded on different systems, some paper, some electronic and this meant vital information was not properly passed on, the inquest heard. 'Devastating loss' There was a fundamental misunderstanding early on, too, that she had been examined by a senior doctor in adult A&E, when in fact he had never seen her, the jury was told. He was relying on a nurse's examination when he had decided she was well enough to be transferred, and that her elevated heart rate was probably anxiety, the court was this misunderstanding led other clinicians to believe her case was not urgent and when she was sent home they believed she had jury returned a narrative conclusion, finding that Lila died of natural causes and the cause of death was meningitis. They also decided her death was contributed to by Christopher Morris said to Lila's family: "I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it must have been sitting through evidence and having to relive the events." He said he hoped it gave some answers to the events leading to her death and offered his coroner made several prevention of future death reports and recommendations to the trust. Missed opportunities Ms Mincherton said it was "vital that lessons are learned to improve patient safety".Speaking outside court, she said: "Throughout this process we have faced a number of defences to the care Lila received."We got the outcome today that we believed we should have but hearing the word 'neglect' is something a parent should never have to hear."We are now left with the devastating loss of our daughter for the rest of our lives."Tameside General Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, released a statement offering their condolences to Lila's family. "It is clear from the independent investigation that there were missed opportunities in Lila's care. We accept the coroner's findings and apologise unreservedly," a statement read."As a trust we have made and will continue to make improvements to ensure we learn from this case." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Arab News
25-05-2025
- Health
- Arab News
KSrelief sends vaccine to Syrian pilgrims for Hajj
RIYADH: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief has provided 25,000 doses of the meningitis vaccine to Syrian pilgrims at the request of the Syrian Ministry of Health. The vaccines are being administered in preparation for the pilgrims' upcoming Hajj journey to the holy sites of Makkah and Madinah, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The ministry of the Syrian Arab Republic expressed its appreciation for the prompt response, describing the support as characteristic of Saudi Arabia and its leadership. Through KSrelief, the Kingdom has consistently provided vital aid to the Syrian people while addressing their most urgent needs, the SPA added. This support highlights Saudi Arabia's continued commitment to assisting nations and communities worldwide with critical medical supplies. KSrelief recently concluded seven medical projects in Damascus as part of the Saudi Amal Volunteer Program. The week-long initiatives included cardiac surgery and catheterization, orthopedics and joint surgery, prosthetics and rehabilitation, pediatric surgery, pediatric urology, and treatment for blindness and related conditions.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Doctors dismissed my five-year-old's common symptom - hours later she was dead
One afternoon in December 2023, five year-old Lila Marsland began suffering a series of symptoms familiar with most parents. She complained of neck pain, a headache and had been vomiting. Her mother, Rachael Mincherton, from Hyde, took her to Tameside Hospital in Greater Manchester, where a district nurse said the child had tonsillitis, offered a prescription for antibiotics and discharged her. But within 12 hours, 'adorable' Lila was dead. An eight-day inquest into her shock death is due to start at Manchester South Coroner's Court in Stockport, Greater Manchester, on Tuesday. An initial investigation indicated that Lila had signs of meningitis bacteria in fluid surrounding her brain. Ms Mincherton said she asked hospital staff if meningitis could be a cause of her daughter's symptoms, but was told it was tonsillitis. Meningitis is a deadly infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges), and is usually caused by a bacteria or virus. It can quickly turn deadly, as it triggers life-threatening sepsis—an extreme reaction to an infection. Meningitis can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults. It's estimated up to 1 in every 10 cases of bacterial meningitis is fatal. Speaking ahead of the inquest about the ordeal Ms Mincherton said: 'When we arrived home from hospital, I slept with Lila that night and when I woke she was unresponsive. 'The paramedics arrived in minutes and did everything they could, but it was too late. At that moment our family changed forever. 'Lila was the most amazing and adorable little girl. 'She was a gentle soul who had many friends and all the teachers at school thought the world of her. 'I'd pick Lila up and it would take half an hour to leave as she would be hugging all of the teachers. 'Lila played with her friends, loved dancing, cheerleading and Rainbows. 'She had a zest for life and her entire future ahead of her. It breaks our hearts that she'll never get to make the most of life and fulfil her potential.' Since Lila's death, Ms Mincherton and her partner Darren Marsland, 42, have set up a charity called ' Lila's Light '—where they raise money to provide hospitals with bereavement bags for siblings who have lost a brother or sister. They have raised over £10,000 so far, through a variety of fundraisers including a family fun day and charity football match. 'No family thinks they'll ever find themselves in this position,' said Ms Mincherton. 'It's almost impossible to put into words the feeling of loss our family faces every day and how Lila's death will remain with us forever. 'We wouldn't wish what we're having to go through on anyone.' The couple, who are also parents to 15-year-old daughter Ava, are hoping the inquest will provide them with the 'answers they deserve' and have also instructed specialist medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell. 'One of the hardest things to try and come to terms with is having so many unanswered questions about why Lila died,' said Ms Mincherton, a former nurse. 'We know the inquest and listening to the evidence is going to be incredibly difficult but it's something we need to do to establish answers for our girl.' The Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which run the hospital, have been contacted for a comment.
