Bridget's Story
Bridget’s Story
19-year-old Bridget had little knowledge of meningitis when she left home for the first time to study in Wellington in 2017. After a semester in the halls of residence, she fell ill while studying for an exam. She wasn’t prepared for how fast her health would deteriorate.
“It was nearing the end of the first semester, and I was at my university hall in Wellington,” Bridget says.
“The night before my exam I did some last-minute studying and started to feel unwell. I eventually went to sleep and woke up the next morning feeling terrible.”
The headache had gotten worse and I couldn’t stop vomiting, so I immediately knew something wasn’t right.
Bridget’s friends started making their way to the exam, but the symptoms continued to develop, and she decided she was too sick to leave the hall.
“I rang my Mum who told me I should probably go to the doctors to get checked. As I spoke to my her, my condition escalated, and within seconds I was no longer able to stand or walk. It all happened so fast.”
Bridget’s mother was starting to worry.
“I called management at the hall and got someone to come to Bridget’s room to check on her, who then carried her to the lobby,” she says.
An ambulance was called and took Bridget straight to Wellington Hospital. “It never crossed my mind that I had meningitis”.
“My brain started to fog and I wasn’t able to think clearly.”
As soon as she arrived at the hospital, she was intubated in the Emergency Department and transferred to the Intensive Care Unit for ventilation due to her reduced level of consciousness.
The hospital rang Bridget’s parents in Tauranga to give them an update, and they immediately jumped on the next flight to Wellington.
“It was the longest flight of my life. We didn't know what was going to be happening by the time we landed and got to the ICU.”
“We had to wear full ICU masks and gowns, went into an isolation room and saw our daughter hooked up to a number of machines,” says her Mum.“We stayed all night with her, listening to the machines beeping, watching her heartbeat. We didn’t sleep a wink.”
After two long days, the doctors decided to bring Bridget out of the coma, and she was moved to the medical ward. She stayed in hospital for another five days.
Prior to attending university, Bridget recalls going to the doctors, and the nurse encouraging her to get the meningitis vaccine.
“I walked out with a pamphlet and never ended up getting vaccinated; simply because I forgot about it and didn’t think it would happen to me.”
“Today, I am a strong advocate for the vaccine and would encourage every person to get it.”
I couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who was a part of my journey with meningitis,” she continues. “My amazing family and friends, the doctors and nurses at Wellington Hospital, Ronald McDonald House staff, Air New Zealand crew and many others. I can never thank you enough.”
Bridget’s mum said her message to all parents was, “If you think something is not right with your children's health speak out right away, ring that ambulance, call the doctor, go to the hospital, don't worry that you might look like you are being over cautious or silly.”
