NEED TO KNOW
A teenager in England was sent home from the hospital with what doctors initially thought were symptoms of a stomach bug symptoms
However, a month later, she was put into an induced coma after collapsing in pain
The teen went into septic shock after previously undiagnosed congenital scarring in her bowel led to complications
A 13-year-old in England was told by doctors that she likely had a stomach bug, before she ended up in an induced coma as she fought for her life around a month later.
Natalie-Anne Rowlett, 40, is speaking out about the dangers of sepsis, after her daughter, Felicity-Jo, was left in a coma for two weeks after previously undiagnosed congenital scarring in her bowel led to her going into septic shock, the BBC reported on Tuesday, April 14.
Rowlett told the outlet that Felicity-Jo, from the town of Nelson in Lancashire, U.K., was initially taken to the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital in February after experiencing severe abdominal cramps and sickness. However, she was discharged the following day after medics initially thought she might have been suffering from gastroenteritis.
Felicity-Jo Rowlett-Howes
Credit: GoFundMe
According to the Cleveland Clinic, “gastroenteritis is inflammation that spreads from your stomach into your intestines, causing pain, vomiting and diarrhea,” with the medical center stating that it tends to go away by itself most of the time.
“They [gave] her some fluids to stop the dehydration and she seemed to like come around and seemed to feel better — the pain eased and then she took to small sips of water,” Rowlett told the BBC, recalling that “the doctors said they thought it was gastroenteritis or a stomach bug going around. They had said they wanted to take her for a scan but they didn’t do it because she perked up.”
In an email to PEOPLE on Tuesday, Rowlett adds, “The main symptoms were abdominal pain and persistent vomiting. It’s frightening how quickly things progressed from what seemed like a typical upset stomach to a life-threatening situation.”
Felicity-Jo Rowlett-Howes
Credit: GoFundMe
Around a month later, on March 15, Felicity-Jo collapsed in pain and ended up being admitted to the ICU, per the BBC. Rowlett said that her daughter had eaten all her dinner the night before, but had later “woke up in pain and was rolling about on the floor and she was screaming. It was really really painful.”
The teenager was taken to Burnley General Teaching Hospital, where she was told she’d been born with congenital scar tissue in her bowel, which are known as adhesions, according to the BBC.
Per the Cleveland Clinic, “abdominal adhesions are bands of scar tissue that form between abdominal tissues and organs. Like the name suggests, the tissue can cause your organs to ‘adhere,’ or stick together.”
Felicity-Jo Rowlett-Howes
Credit: GoFundMe
The adhesions led to Felicity-Jo developing a bowel obstruction. This was eventually followed by an infection and sepsis, her mom told the BBC.
After undergoing emergency surgery at the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, Felicity-Jo was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
Rowlett wrote on GoFundMe that “seeing our vibrant girl in such a critical environment has been a parent’s worst nightmare.” She organized the fundraiser to raise money amid the ongoing costs associated with Felicity-Jo’s hospitalization, per the campaign’s description.
Felicity-Jo Rowlett-Howes
Credit: GoFundMe
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“I was terrified,” Rowlett told the BBC. “I didn’t take my eyes off her once in the ambulance. My first instinct was, ‘Is she going to die?’ I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Felicity-Jo “has already undergone two major surgical procedures on her bowel,” according to the GoFundMe. She also had some of her bowel removed, per the BBC.
The teen ended up being placed into an induced coma and kept on life support for two weeks, according to the outlet.
Felicity-Jo Rowlett-Howes
Credit: GoFundMe
After being fitted with a stoma bag and diagnosed with two blood clots four weeks after the health scare, Felicity-Jo finally took her first steps in almost a month.
In an update on the GoFundMe, Rowlett shared that her daughter had “managed a smile,” which “melted” their hearts, while confirming that she was being moved from the PICU to another ward in the hospital. She wrote, “Leaving Intensive Care is a monumental milestone. It means she is getting stronger every day and moving closer to the ‘finish line’ where we can eventually bring her home to Nelson.”
“She still has a long road of recovery, stoma care, and rehabilitation ahead, but moving to the ward is a giant leap forward,” Rowlett added.
Rowlett also tells PEOPLE, “We are so relieved to finally be out of PICU; being on the ward feels like a huge step forward.” She shares, “I can happily confirm that Felicity-Jo has taken her first steps since coming out of her coma. It was an incredibly emotional milestone for us to witness after everything she’s been through.”
Rowlett is now urging others to be aware of the symptoms of sepsis, telling them to “trust their guts” if something “doesn’t feel right,” the BBC reported. “I’m not a doctor but I felt it wasn’t right,” she said. “You know your own child. And I had wondered if there was something else wrong. We didn’t know about the scar tissue or the blockage.”
“Sepsis develops so quickly and I want others to be aware. I know she’ll come through. She’s a fighter,” Rowlett continued.
The East Lancashire Hospitals [National Health Service] NHS Trust, which covers the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment.
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