The 12-year-old schoolgirl is on the verge of death hours after A&E doctors diagnosed meningitis as a common cold –

A 12-year-old girl is on the verge of death after doctors recognized meningitis as a common cold.

Harri Tuson, now 13, from Eltham, London, was rushed to the emergency room last June after suffering from a fever, runny nose and headache for a week.

Her mother said doctors at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich told her that Harri simply had a cold, despite a blood test showing her body was struggling with something more serious.

Toni Tuson, 38, said she had an “instinctive feeling” that doctors were wrong, but reluctantly took her daughter home after spending eight hours in the emergency room.

Later that night, however, Harri suffered a seizure and was taken back to the hospital, where scans showed bacterial meningitis and fatal inflammation in her brain.

He remained in an artificial coma for six days and was given a course of antibiotics. When he was discharged from the hospital three weeks later, he had to use a wheelchair and learn to walk again for two months.

Ms. Tuson shared Harri’s story to encourage other mothers to “trust their instincts” and raise awareness about the infection.

Harri was later hospitalized after suffering a seizure, where scans confirmed he had meningitis and an inflamed brain. He spent a total of six days in an artificial coma and three weeks in the hospital.

Corporate information manager Toni Tuson (right) shared Harri’s story (left) to encourage other mothers to trust their instincts and raise awareness about bacterial infection.

Harri fell ill last June and was suffering from cold symptoms that did not go away a week later.

When Harri’s fever rose to 40°C (104°F), her mother rushed her to the hospital and she began to look “gray and sick”.

Ms. Tuson said, “My instinct told me it wasn’t just a cold or a virus.

“I had to push for a blood test and it came back with markers showing infection, but we were fired.

“I shouldn’t have left after looking back and seeing the benefits of all the research I’ve done since then.

“But we were there for eight hours and I felt like a neurotic parent and there was nothing wrong, so I had to take the doctor’s word and go home.”

That night, Miss Tuson lay at the foot of her daughter’s bed with a hospital bag ready for the night.

Harri woke up around 2 o’clock and went to the bathroom, but the young woman did not return to her room.

Ms. Tuson, who went for an inspection, said: “She loved him and didn’t even know where he was.

“He looked at me and he looked brain damaged.

“One student was bigger than the other and I later learned that it was an attack. I was so scared. ‘

The couple was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital by ambulance.

A CT scan showed Harri had a brain infection, and the hospital doctors immediately gave her antibiotics.

The student was taken to Kings College Hospital in London for an MRI that showed he had meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Doctors also found that Harri had encephalitis, a dangerous complication that causes brain inflammation.

He was kept in a medically induced coma for six days to prevent further swelling of his brain.

Mrs Tuson said: “I was in shock because there were no symptoms that I knew of” † for example, a pale redness or sensitivity to light.

They said they would do their best to protect his brain but they prepared us for the worst by saying some of them didn’t wake up.

“Harri started with a cold, but the sinusitis migrated to his brain and infected his sinuses. That’s how he ended up with bacterial meningitis.’

Serious complications occur in about one in five people who get bacterial meningitis, and 10% die.

It is caused by bacteria or viruses that enter the bloodstream and travel to the brain and spinal cord and can occur after a separate infection or illness.

On the fifth day in a coma, doctors tried to wake Harri, but her left lung collapsed and the right side of her body was paralyzed.

Ms. Huson describes the next day as “one of the hardest days” when Harri woke up emotionless.

Harri was kept in an artificial coma for six days at Kings College Hospital in London. “I was shocked because it didn’t have the symptoms I know of, like a non-bleaching rash or sensitivity to light,” said Ms. Tuson.

Harri (pictured) spent three weeks at Kings College hospital, after which nurses came every day for six weeks to administer antibiotics. The student remained in a wheelchair for eight weeks and had to learn to walk and regain strength.

“I’m glad he’s starting to wake up, but it was the worst day.

“I was scared when he tried to scream, but I didn’t make a sound. He didn’t answer, I thought he was brain dead.

“He had no feelings and could not form sentences.

“Fortunately, her lips and eyes were moving every day, which gave us some hope. It took about three days for Harri to open up again.

The student spent three weeks in the hospital at Kings College, after which nurses came home every day for six weeks to administer antibiotics.

Harri was in a wheelchair for eight weeks and had to learn to walk and regain her strength.

Ms. Huson said, “Harri is very intelligent and loves to read.

“I was afraid he was going to have a hard time at school, but after missing a semester, he managed to catch up with his homework.

“Harri has taken months to recover and he still has balance issues.

“He was unlucky not to get it because it’s so rare but he’s incredibly lucky to have survived and returned without serious permanent damage.

Ms Huson said she was “gratified that she trusted her instincts”, otherwise Harri “may not be here today”.

“She shouldn’t have been sent home, but luckily the doctors did a great job when they got her back to the hospital by ambulance.

“He’s just disappointed in the ER’s ER. Harry is doing very well. We’re still in shock that this has happened,” he said.

A spokesperson for Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust said: “Due to patient confidentiality, we cannot comment on this in the media.

“However, after Ms Tuson complained about her daughter’s care last year, we conducted a thorough investigation and sent her a full response in October 2021, addressing all her concerns.”