Levi Syer developed gastro-like symptoms, nausea and a lack of appetite
Levi Syer(Image: Mirror)
A teenager who came home from school complaining about sore muscles died less than 24 hours after he felt unwell.
Levi Syer developed gastro-like symptoms, nausea and a lack of appetite on September 23.
The 16-year-old’s mum Norliah Syer-Peterson booked him a doctor’s appointment for the next day.
But at 1.30am, Norliah was woken up by a loud bang coming from the bathroom.
She found that Levi was feeling much worse and had started being sick.
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The teenager became delirious and stopped making sense, his mum recalled.
She said “I’ve never seen him that sick in my life.
“Then he asked me “am I going to die?” And of course, we’re all like “no”.”
Levi was rushed to a children’s hospital in Australia, with almost 60 doctors and specialists treating him for more than six hours in the intensive care unit.
But they could not save him and he died in hospital, Mirror reports.
His family were told his heart was shutting down, with doctors performing CPR on Levi for almost 90 minutes.
Ms Syer-Peterson said she saw purple ‘blotches’ on her son’s face and body before he was intubated to drain fluid from his lungs.
He died from sepsis caused by the deadly bacterial infection meningococcal Type B, less than 24 hours after he first started feeling unwell.
Ms Syer-Peterson said: “The paramedics did absolutely everything they could to save him.
“There was nothing more they could do as the doctor said it (meningitis) goes through the body like a tsunami.”
Meningitis deaths have increased in the UK, driven by a rise in MenB cases.
There was a rise in 2022/23 with 33 deaths, while a recent rise in MenB cases among children aged one to four has become a concern.
Levi had received immunisation for Meningococcal ACWY at school in Australia but the vaccine did not cover the deadliest strain – meningococcal B.
In the UK, children and young people are vaccinated against meningococcal B but not everyone takes up the free vaccine.
According to the NHS meningitis symptoms include:
A high temperatureCold hands and feetVomitingConfusionBreathing quicklyMuscle and joint painPale, mottled or blotchy skin (this may be harder to see on brown or black skin)Spots or a rash (this may be harder to see on brown or black skin)HeadacheA stiff neckA dislike of bright lightsBeing very sleepy or difficult to wakeFts (seizures)
Babies may also:
Refuse feedsBe irritableHave a high-pitched cryHave a stiff body or be floppy or unresponsiveHave a bulging soft spot on the top of their head.
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