Mum says daughter ‘caught meningitis after sharing vape’ as fears rise over unfold
A Kent mum described the ordeal as ‘horrendous’ after her 21-year-old daughter was rushed to hospital with a seizure caused by meningitis linked to a Canterbury outbreak that has killed two people
Keeleigh (pictured) is set to remain in hospital for at least a week(Image: Supplied)
A mum fears a deadly outbreak of meningitis that struck her daughter started by people sharing a vape. Khali Goodwin woke to voicemails from William Harvey Hospital in Ashford informing her that her 21-year-old daughter, Keeleigh, had been admitted to hospital after being discovered unconscious at her shared accommodation in Canterbury.
The 39-year-old mother-of-six told Kent Live: “Keeleigh rang me saying she has all these symptoms and everything, and I said ‘that’s probably Covid’. She kept saying her head was really bad, and she was feeling sick.
“Next thing I woke up in the morning to voicemails on my phone from the hospital and she had a seizure. She got up from bed, went into the bathroom, and she had seizure and she fell. Luckily enough, she’s in a shared accommodation, and her housemate found her and rang an ambulance.”
It follows a meningitis outbreak in the region, which has claimed the lives of two people, including a student from the University of Kent and a Year 13 pupil named Juliette from Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham.
A third school since has confirmed a student has been diagnosed with the infection. The headmaster of the Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys said in a letter to parents that one of its year 13 students has been admitted to hospital with meningitis.
The confirmation means Simon Langton Grammar School joins the Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar Faversham and Norton Knatchbull School in Ashford in confirming they have had cases. On Sunday, the University of Kent confirmed the death of a student.
Khali revealed she had assumed her daughter had received all her vaccinations and never suspected bacterial meningitis. She described the past two days as horrendous as a mother, witnessing her in this condition.
She was able to visit Keeleigh in hospital yesterday whilst wearing a mask. She said: “It was just horrendous to see how she was yesterday (March 15) It’s absolutely awful.
“It’s frightened the life out of her. It’s completely scared her, she’s absolutely petrified she said she doesn’t want to go out at all. I think this will be the one to completely and utterly change her life.”
Keeleigh, who works full-time at McDonald’s, visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury on Thursday (March 12) alongside her mates. The nightclub has responded to the outbreak stating “some people who may have attended Club Chemistry could have been affected by the current outbreak.”
Khali added: “She did say that one of her friends also has sort of the same symptoms, obviously not as bad, but they’ve been sharing a vape,” the Sun reports.
“I think sharing vapes is a major way of it being passed.”
Khali is encouraging anyone experiencing symptoms to ring 111 following her daughter’s condition beginning with merely a fever. “It just slowly got worse and then she had the headache,” she explained.
“She said she had never had headaches like it and said it was the worst headache she could possibly have had.”
The mother revealed she feels thankful for her daughter’s flatmate, who discovered her in the nick of time. “Honestly that girl is amazing, she literally a lifesaver. If she hadn’t found her, then I would have lost her.”
Trish Mannes, UKHSA Regional Deputy Director for the South East, has reassured students and staff that close contacts of cases have been administered antibiotics and that advice and support are being provided to the broader student community.
She stressed the importance of recognising symptoms of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia, which include fever, headache, vomiting, cold hands and feet, and a rash that does not fade when pressed.
Hundreds of students have been lining up for antibiotics after two young individuals died in a meningitis outbreak and others were admitted to hospital. Some were seen wearing masks while others could be seen sharing vapes.
Anyone who visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury on March 5, 6 or 7 should “come forward for preventative antibiotic treatment as a precautionary measure”, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.
“Meningococcal disease can progress rapidly. Signs and symptoms of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia can include a fever, headache, rapid breathing, drowsiness, shivering, vomiting and cold hands and feet. Septicaemia can also cause a characteristic rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass,” the agency said.
“Early symptoms can often be confused with other illnesses such as a cold, flu or hangover and students are particularly at risk of missing the early warning signs. If you or anyone you know develops any of these symptoms, seek medical help immediately by contacting a GP, calling NHS 111 or dialling 999 in an emergency. Knowing the signs and taking early treatment can be lifesaving.”
