Girl diagnosed with meningitis after being told she had tonsilitis and sent home from hospital

A mum whose daughter was left with life-long disabilities following meningitis has revealed the impact the disease has had on her family – and has asked lawyers to secure answers.

Elouise Morley-Birch took her daughter, Lily Morley-Birch, to Northwick Park Hospital, in Harrow, North West London, on Boxing Day of 2010 concerned about her high temperature, lack of feeding and lethargy. The then 10-month-old’s symptoms started two weeks after her brother Josh, had been diagnosed with viral meningitis.

Lily was diagnosed with tonsilitis and sent home with antibiotics. However, Elouise, a secondary school head of year, of Harrow, took Lily back to hospital hours later concerned she was unable to wake her daughter, whose condition had deteriorated.

Lily was admitted and diagnosed with pneumococcal bacterial meningitis. She went on to suffer a prolonged seizure and spent more than three weeks in hospital.

Now aged 16, Lily has been left with lifelong disabilities that affect how she walks, talks and learns. She suffers from frequent seizures and ongoing health problems that impact her every day.

Elouise, aged 37, has instructed expert medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to help Lily access the specialist support, rehabilitation and therapies she requires. As the full extent of Lily’s lifelong needs and the level of support she will require are being established, the law firm is investigating Lily’s care and whether more should have been done to diagnose and treat her meningitis sooner.

Georgie Cushing, the specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, representing the family, said: “Lily and her family have been left devastated by Lily’s meningitis diagnosis and the ongoing effect it has had.

“Understandably, Elouise has questions, in particular, about whether more should have been done to diagnose and treat Lily’s meningitis sooner.

 

“All Elouise wants is for the most comprehensive investigation to be undertaken so her family can receive the answers they deserve, and Lily can access the specialist life-time support she requires.

 

“In the meantime, we join Elouise in raising awareness of the dangers of meningitis and urging everyone to be aware of the signs and symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment is vitally important to ensure patients make the best possible recovery.”

On the evening of 26 December 2010, Lily was taken to A&E at Northwick Park Hospital, where she was triaged to the urgent care centre, assessed for flu-like symptoms, a high temperature, lethargy and poor feeding.

Elouise had raised concerns that Lily was lethargic and not responding to paracetamol and ibuprofen and said she had mentioned her son Josh, had been admitted to hospital for treatment for viral meningitis two weeks previously.

Lily was referred to paediatrics and discharged in the early hours of 27 December with a diagnosis of tonsillitis and antibiotics.

At around 10am on 27 December, Elouise was unable to wake Lily and returned to hospital. Lily was pale, floppy and unresponsive, with a swollen soft spot on her head.

She was subsequently diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis and treated with intravenous antibiotics and steroids. During her hospital stay, Lily suffered seizures, including a prolonged seizure on 29 December, before being discharged several weeks later.

Following meningitis Lily suffers with significant and permanent neurological injuries. She has hemiplegia - a condition that causes weakness making movement and balance difficult – down her left side.

She also lives with epilepsy, dystonia, delayed speech and communication difficulties, behavioural difficulties and problems swallowing, which have led to recurrent chest infections. Her mental health is also increasingly impacted as she tries to understand her difficulties and the medication required.

She has required specialist support from a young age and attends a school for children with special educational needs.

Elouise said: “Before I took Lily to hospital I knew she wasn’t herself. Her behaviour had changed and paracetamol and ibuprofen weren’t bringing down her temperature. However, even after I mentioned Josh had also recently had viral meningitis, I wasn’t totally convinced I was being listened to.

 

“When Lily was admitted to hospital it was absolutely awful seeing her so poorly and having seizures. It’s something no parent should have to see. All I wanted to do was to help my little girl, but I felt powerless.

“While I’m so relieved that she managed to pull through, the last few years and coming to terms with the challenges Lily faces has been difficult.  

 

“Lily understands far more than people realise. She knows that her speech isn’t the same, that she struggles to walk, and that she won’t have the same independence as other teenagers.

 

“Lily is incredibly brave and while we try not to be defined by what happened and lead as normal a family as possible, it can be difficult. Lily’s condition affects everything – her mobility, her learning, her confidence and her future.

 

“Recently, doctors showed her images of her brain and explained what meningitis had done to it. Watching her try to process that was absolutely heartbreaking.”

Following Lily’s diagnosis, Elouise has been supported by the charity Meningitis Now. Elouise took part in a sponsored skydive, raising £2,500 for the charity.

Elouise added: “When Lily was critically ill, the support that the charity provided was invaluable.

 

“People hear about meningitis but I feel there needs to be more awareness about it. Many may think it may not affect them, but anyone can be affected.

 

“Everyone needs to realise the dangers of meningitis and how important it is to receive a quick diagnosis and treatment. I just hope that by speaking out I can make others aware.”

At the time of Lily’s meningitis, Northwick Park Hospital was managed by North West London Hospitals NHS Trust. The site is now run by NHS London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust.

Find out more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in supporting affected by meningitis at our dedicated meningitis claims section.