What Is Meningococcal Septicemia? Disease May Cause 90% Brain Damage In 10-Month-Old

A 10-month-old baby from Wyke in Yorkshire in the United Kingdom was admitted to hospital a month ago after the doctors diagnosed her with Meningococcal Septicemia. The devastated parents have been informed their daughter could lose all her limbs and suffer tremendous brain damage due to the disease.

According to the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), “Doctors call septicemia (a bloodstream infection) caused by Neisseria meningitidis meningococcal septicemia or meningococcemia."

"When someone has meningococcal septicemia, the bacteria enter the bloodstream and multiply, damaging the walls of the blood vessels. This causes bleeding into the skin and organs," CDC's wesbite reads.

Some of the symptoms of the disease include fever, fatigue, vomiting, cold hands and feet, cold chills, severe ache or pain in the muscles, joints, chest or abdomen, rapid breathing, diarrhea, photophobia (eyes being more sensitive to light), altered mental status (confusion) and dark purple rashes.

The disease is more difficult to detect in newborn babies, as they might not exhibit all the traditional symptoms of the disease and may just show classic symptoms of fever, headache, and neck stiffness. This is what happened in the case of 10-month-old Kia Gott.

Kia’s mother noticed she was jerking in her sleep and felt lethargic when she was awake. Also a couple of spots had popped up on her chest. When Kia’s parents took her to the general physician a month ago, because she had fever and she was vomiting, they had no idea their daughter would be admitted to Leeds General Infirmary to receive specialized care for Meningococcal Septicemia.

Even as her mother refused to leave her daughter’s side while she was in the intensive care, Kia’s condition deteriorated. The infant Kia already had her right arm removed and is scheduled to have one of her legs amputated on Monday. Furthermore, the doctors have informed Kia’s parents that it is most likely that their daughter is going to lose all her limbs in addition to her sight and hearing and also suffer from 90 percent brain damage.

"They (the parents) know she is in a bad way, but they can't grasp she can't hear or see them,” Gott’s aunt, Donna Gott, told British news outlet the Telegraph and Argus. “They believe she is responding to them and their voices and when Elsie sings her nursery rhymes. She is yawning, moving her head and her arm. The hospital has said it's the worst case of Meningitis C they have seen there in 25 years."

Kia's grandmother, Gail Gott, prayed for her recovery on Twitter and the family is also trying to raise funds for the medical expenses.

Despite the heart-breaking prognosis, Kia’s condition is said to be stable. She has been taken off the ventilator and is breathing on her own. This has given her parents a small glimmer of hope.

Villagers of Wyke have set up a crowd-funding page for the couple to help them out with the hospital fees, which has already raised more than 11,000 pounds (close to $15,000).

“Paul and Vikki want to thank the people of Wyke, family and others who are supporting them and helping them out at this terrible time,” Donna added. “They also want to thank Eckersley House Sick Children’s Trust, the BRI and the critical care transport Embrace team for getting them to Leeds.”