Eliana Shaw-Lothian, now 20, was just four weeks into her first year at the University of Surrey when she woke up one Friday with a “really bad headache”.
Initially, she didn’t think anything of it – as she used to get headaches quite regularly. But as the day progressed she started to feel dizzy, her hands and feet got cold, and her neck became stiff.
The next day Eliana was in hospital being treated for life-threatening bacterial meningitis.
Eliana first thought she had freshers’ flu.(Image: SWNS)
She is speaking out to raise awareness for the signs and symptoms of the illness – as a leading charity warns that in its beginning stages, meningitis can resemble “a bad hangover”.
Eliana, a psychology student from Bromley, southeast London, said: “The symptoms were pretty generic.
“I used to get headaches all the time so it wasn’t unusual for me. I thought my hands and feet were cold because it was chilly in the flat. And I thought maybe I had slept funny so had a stiff neck.
“I was generally just feeling under the weather – like I had the flu.”
That evening Eliana called her parents to tell them she was feeling unwell and her mum asked if she had a rash – a telltale sign of meningitis.
However, the then 18-year-old had no signs of a rash and so decided to try sleep her illness off.
Eliana woke feeling sick in the early hours of Saturday and started throwing up repeatedly.
By this point, she had realised something was really wrong – but had become “delirious” and was unable to act on her suspicions.
She says her last memory was thinking she needed to go to hospital. She woke up in intensive care three days later.
Eliana said: “Waking up was terrifying as at first I didn’t recognise my parents or know who I was.
“I had no idea what was happening as I had been in an induced coma for two days.
“But I later remembered my family and what had happened. I was then told I had bacterial meningitis and could have died.
“That’s a feeling I’ll never forget.”
On the Saturday morning Eliana’s parents grew worried that they hadn’t heard from her and continually called her phone.
The fresher’s flatmates heard her phone ringing non-stop and went into her bedroom to check on her.
She said: “They found me in there delirious and picked up the phone to tell my parents who immediately drove to my uni.
“An ambulance said it would take two hours to get to me so my parents and friends contacted campus security who took me to hospital.
“My family and flatmates are the only reason I’m here today.
“Because I had been in contact with my parents, when I didn’t message them, they knew something was right.
“And thankfully I was friends with my flatmates so they felt comfortable enough to come into my room to check on me.”
By the time Eliana made it to A&E a rash had appeared and she was hallucinating.
Doctors sent her to the ICU and simultaneously treated her for viral meningitis, bacterial meningitis, and sepsis as they could not afford to lose any time while they waited for test results.
Eliana, who at this point was at a heightened state of paranoia, was placed into an induced coma while doctors looked for fluid on her brain.
Tests then revealed she had bacterial meningitis – which is rarer but more serious than viral meningitis – and the medical team started treating her just for that.
Her parents were told she was “in acute danger” and that the next few hours were critical to see if she would respond to treatment.
It wasn’t until Sunday that Eliana, who was on a ventilator and feeding tube, started to show signs of fighting the infection.
On Monday lunchtime she was brought out of the induced coma.
In the months after her near-death experience Eliana struggled with her motor movements – which meant that simple tasks like eating and walking became a struggle.
She also struggled with hearing loss at the beginning of her recovery.
Eliana said: “As a dancer, those things were really hard for me to come to terms with. But eventually I returned to normal.
“However now, two years on, I still have fluid around my heart and struggle with concentration problems.
“But I’m so grateful because I know there are so many people who had meningitis who aren’t as lucky.
“People are left with brain damage or can lose their limbs – or of course even their lives.
“So the fact that I’ve been able to return to university and dancing and live my life as normal… I’m so grateful.”
Eliana’s experience has made her determined to raise awareness for meningitis and ensure people know the early signs and symptoms.
She is now working with Meningitis Research UK and is keen to share her story ahead of Freshers’ Week so students can be prepared for how to cope if they or one of their friends falls ill.
Eliana said: “My advice to freshers would be first, to make sure you stay in contact with a parent, sibling, friend, or loved one.
“Just contact someone you trust as much as you can as the reason I’m here today is because my parents knew when I didn’t message them that something wasn’t right.
“Secondly, I’d say don’t hesitate. Meningitis can kill in hours. If you or a friend has symptoms but you’re unsure it’s meningitis, go to A&E or at least call 111.
“It’s better to find out it’s not meningitis than to have left it too late.”
A spokesperson for Meningitis Research Foundation encouraged students to get vaccinated before going to university.
However, they also encouraged students to be aware of the symptoms – as the MenACWY vaccine does not protect against all types of meningitis.
Eliana had had the MenACWY vaccine but it did not protect against her strain of meningitis.
Caroline Hughes, Support Services Manager at Meningitis Research Foundation commented: “Meningitis can affect anyone, anywhere, at any time.
Recommended Reading
“However, students are at an increased risk. The most important thing they can do to protect themselves and their friends is to get the free MenACWY vaccine before starting university.
“It’s vital for everyone to be aware of the symptoms of meningitis, as the MenACWY vaccine does not protect against MenB – the most common cause of life-threatening meningitis in young people.
“In the early stages, meningitis can look like a bad hangover, freshers’ flu or other mild illnesses, which makes it easy to miss.
“Symptoms can appear in any order but not everyone gets all symptoms. You must trust your instincts and seek urgent medical attention if you think someone is unwell.
“As World Meningitis Day (5th October) approaches, we are encouraging everyone to take action to help save lives.”
