Consequently, she ended up in a coma, whilst her parents were prepared for the worst. Fortunately, Jaswal managed to fully recover, and is now encouraging people to learn more about meningitis whilst appealing to the government to enforce compulsory vaccinations. In an interview with the Daily Mail, she said: « It changed my outlook on things.
« I feel so grateful that I’ve been given a second chance. I spent a couple of weeks in hospital and lost a lot of weight. I felt completely drained but being 16 I just wanted to get back to normal life.
« I was so lucky that I was able to do that. If you have Meningitis B, many people come out of it with something that could be long-lasting: a disability, you lose a limb, lose your sight or hearing. That happens to a lot of people. »
Studying for her A-Levels at the time, Jaswal’s first symptom of the infection was a headache, which escalated to such an extent that her mother, Raziya, sought medical help. The doctor initially dismissed it as flu, but as Jaswal became sensitive to light, her mother suspected it was actually meningitis – prompting her to call an ambulance.
Jaswal revealed: « She called the ambulance. The paramedics came and took me to hospital. I don’t remember any of this part. I was in a coma for between 24 and 48 hours.
« My parents were told all of the worst things that might be the outcome. I cannot thank my mother enough for acting so quickly. The doctor himself said I had the flu. The signs can be very similar at the beginning to a flu.
« When you’re on the go non-stop, you just put it down to that. My mum really trusted her instinct. You’ve got to trust your instinct. If something doesn’t feel quite right, even if it’s a degree off a normal cold or flu, you’ve got to run with it and get it checked. That’s my advice. »
What are the symptoms of meningitis
According to the NHS, the symptoms of meningitis are:
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