Baby dies of meningitis just 24 hours after falling ill despite having jabs to protect her against the deadly disease

Media--meningitis despite vaccination

Baby dies of meningitis just 24 hours after falling ill despite having jabs to protect her against the deadly disease

Ava Jeremiah, from Swansea, had only just celebrated her first birthday
She had a temperature and was off her food but rash developed later
Doctors said it was most likely a cold before her symptoms deteriorated
Taken to hospital but died 12 hours later from meningitis and septicaemia
Contracted infection despite having childhood immunisation against it

By KATE PICKLES FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 10:30, 19 October 2016 | UPDATED: 11:21, 19 October 2016

An baby girl has died 24 hours after contracting meningitis - despite having all her jabs to prevent the disease.

Zoe O'connor, 29, and partner Jamie Jeremiah, 34, were forced to say their final goodbyes to their baby daughter, Ava, after she contracted meningitis and septicaemia.

The devastated couple, from Swansea, had only just celebrated her first birthday and had taken all the precautions to prevent meningitis by having the newly introduced vaccinations.

Ava was taken to hospital but her organs had already started shutting down.

Just 24 hours after first falling ill in April, she died in their arms.

Mother-of-three, Ms O'connor, said: 'Ava was such a happy baby so I knew straight away that something was wrong.

'She had a temperature, her skin felt as though it was burning and she was sat quietly not eating.

'I rang my out of hours doctors as it was around 6pm but I was told not to worry as she probably had a head cold but she got worse.

'Throughout the night she was whimpering and unbeknownst to me, she was having seizures.

'It was over 12 hours later and after numerous calls to the doctor that I decided to call an ambulance.

Despite being first told by doctors over the phone not to, my gut instinct told me something was wrong.

'As soon as we got to hospital Ava went from bad to worse, she had a rash all over her body and she was screaming in pain.

Ava had a high temperature and lost her appetite just hours before she died from meningitis C

The tragic tot, pictured here on her first birthday, died just a few weeks later leaving a 'huge hole' in her family's lives

Her father Jamie and mother Zoe had taken all of the necessary precautions by getting her vaccinated against the disease but it was not enough to save her

'Doctors were struggling to stabilise her and I watched in horror as her heart stopped 16 times.

'The final time they couldn't save her and both myself and her dad, Jamie, had to say our final goodbyes.

WHAT IS MENINGITIS C?

What is meningitis?

It is an inflammation of the lining of the brain, which can develop very rapidly. It is rare and can be serious, although if treated early most people make a full recovery.

Septicaemia is a form of blood poisoning, which may be caused by the same germs that cause meningitis.

In the UK, groups B and C types of meningitis are the commonest, and group C accounts for about 40pc of cases.

Signs and symptoms

Early stages of infection include:

Fever
Stiff neck
Severe headache
Pain in back or joints
Vomiting
A high pitched, moaning cry (babies)
Difficult to wake (babies)
Refusal to eat (babies)
Pale or blotchy skin (babies)

What does the vaccine do?

It protectS against Group C meningococcal disease, a major cause of meningitis and septicaemia in the young. It does not protect against Group B infection.

How does the vaccine work?

The vaccine is made from part of the meningococcal organism. The aim is to trick the body's immune system into believing it is being attacked by the meningitis C bug.

It then creates antibodies so that when the real thing comes along, the body will be able to fight off the infection.

As with most vaccines, it is not 100% effective.

'I have never felt heartbreak like it, I was completely devastated, I just hope this story shows how fast meningitis can take hold.'

Ava died of meningitis C despite being vaccinated for all four different causes of meningitis and septicaemia - meningococcal, A, C, W and Y strains.

Her mother said Ava had all of her vaccines on time and even had her first year vaccines two weeks earlier.

'I thought she would've been protected against this awful disease but obviously not - it can happen to anyone.'

The family are now seeking legal advice against the hospital that treated Ava.

She added: 'There seemed to be a lot of errors from the moment she fell ill to the minute she died, I never imagined I would be taking my daughter into hospital and returning home with a memory box of her belongings.

'The grief is still so incredibly raw and I think about her every second of every day.

'We just want to get to the bottom of it with the hospital to prevent this from happening in the future.

'Ava was rarely ever ill, so this was a total shock.

'My life will never be the same without Ava, she had such a beautiful smile and was just starting to walk.

'It's so unfair, I just hope that by sharing this story that I can help save other children.'

Ms O'connor knew the seriousness of her daughter's condition as soon as the meningitis rash developed across her skin.

She said: 'I was horrified when I saw the rash, I knew it was meningitis and how ill Ava was from that point.

'I don't want her death to be in vain and I've since set up a Facebook page to raise awareness for the symptoms and what to look out for.

She said her two older children, Marley, seven, and Nadia, 12, both really miss Ava, and that her death has 'left a huge whole.'

Mandy Davies, interim director of nursing, quality and patient experience at Hywel Dda University Health Board said 'We offer our deepest sympathies to Ava's family for their tragic loss.

'We are currently undertaking a full investigation of the case and are therefore unable to provide any further comment at this stage, though we can confirm that we are in regular contact with the family during this difficult time.'