LDT. 💔 Her baby girl just seemed “a little different”… then everything spiraled out of control
Becki with Millie, who is now 15
A mum from Fleetwood is trying to spread awareness about the symptoms of meningitis after her baby girl almost died from the disease. Becki Thornley noticed her daughter Millie was acting unusually.
Millie, who was three months old when she became ill, had slept in and not had her bottle, causing her mother to become concerned – but as she had no rash, Becki didn’t assume it was meningitis. However, when Millie began to ‘stiffen up’ and started turning ‘grey’, Becki rushed to call an ambulance.
At Blackpool Victoria Hospital, Becki was told that her baby had bacterial meningitis, and she was flown to Manchester in just 21 minutes for treatment. With just a 50 per cent chance of survival, the young mum was warned that if Millie did survive she could lose limbs, or end up with brain damage.
However, at 15-years-old, Millie is now thriving, and is teaming up with her mother to raise money for Meningitis Now, a charity dedicated to tackling the infection. Later this year the two will take on a 5k lantern walk in Manchester, with mum Becki campaigning for more awareness of the disease.
Becki with Millie when she was a baby
Becki, who now lives in Garstang, said: “She was a teeny tiny baby and at three months old they cant speak you’re just guessing what could be wrong with them. She had slept in and gone without a bottle so i ran in and checked her but there was no rash.
“Then the colour of her skin went grey, she was lifeless and limp, and she couldn’t look at the light. When you picked her up it was just like a piece of wood, she was so stiff and it’s because her muscles were so sore.
“It was only when we were in Manchester that the rash came out so if i spent any longer at home who knows what would have happened. At the hospital, they said they would be surprised if she made it and the chance of her losing fingers toes or a leg was so high.
“I was only 18 and the impact is something i will never get over but now I know I’m doing the best to help someone else. I’m super lucky that my daughter is 15 and she is completely normal, she has had an upbringing like a typical child and made a full recovery.”
With a lot of news circulating right now about meningitis following the recent outbreak in Kent, Becki wants to share that people can get better, with Millie’s story being “a little bit of light in the darkness”. Along with the walk, the lash technician is also planning to raise money by doing people’s lashes for 12 hours straight with all the money going to Meningitis Now.
Millie around the time she became ill
“I’ve fundraised in the past but this walk is a special one because Millie is doing it with me,” she continued. “Millie has no recollection, she only knows the stories but as a parent, when i had my second baby i was a wreck. Every time they are ill it’s all you think about. That’s why I want to raise awareness, it’s to help others know the signs.”
On social media, Becki wrote: “People think the rash is the 1st sign of meningitis so I wanted to put a little about my experience out there for you all.
“Signs to look out for before a rash appears: grey coloured skin, lifeless & stiffness, can’t look at lights, constant sleepiness, headaches, no sleeping.
“Remember a baby will rely solely on parents to recognise the signs. Millie is a true survivor of meningitis. She came out the other end unscathed and in September she will be entering year 11 at high school. I couldn’t be prouder of her.
“This year will be the very first time myself and Millie will be fundraising together and I am so excited the day has come.”
Taking place on October 4 at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester, the lantern walk is aiming to raise money for the charity, and remember the people who have gone. Becki and Millie are raising money for their walk here.
The NHS lists eight symptoms of meningitis on their website, which it says can appear suddenly. This includes:
- a high temperature (fever)
- being sick
- a headache
- a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (but a rash will not always develop)
- a stiff neck
- a dislike of bright lights
- drowsiness or unresponsiveness
- seizures (fits)
Additional symptoms, according to the UKHSA, include diarrhoea, joint and muscle pain, extremely cold hands and feet, confusion, delirium, extreme sleepiness and difficulty waking.
