Harding’s sister, Laura, called paramedics after he fell unconscious and collapsed onto a coffee table in their home.
“[The doctors] were kind of preparing us and telling us, you know, he might not make it. It was that bad,” she said.
“You’ve got a million questions going around in your mind. I must say the doctors and nurses were incredible,” Laura added.
The pair said acting fast if meningitis was suspected was vital, as someone’s condition could deteriorate quickly.
“I think what’s really important is to notice if something’s different, and you know it’s not right,” Laura told the BBC.
“I look back and I think on that Sunday, Dan felt a bit ill – but I think it was a bit different, it was a bit worse, and maybe we didn’t pick up on that,” she added.