A father from Northamptonshire has issued a stark warning to other parents after his previously healthy four-year-old daughter contracted a devastating rare brain condition, triggered by the flu, and will now spend Christmas in hospital.
A Routine Illness Turns into a Nightmare
Sienna Dunion, from Corby, began feeling unusually cold before developing a temperature in mid-November. Her parents, Gary and Angelina, kept her off school for two days, believing she had caught a common cold. The situation took a terrifying turn on November 18 when Sienna fell asleep on the sofa at 4pm and did not wake up the following morning.
"She slept through the night and didn't wake up or respond," her heartbroken father, Gary Dunion, explained. The family rushed her to A&E at Kettering Hospital, where doctors initially treated her for dehydration. However, Sienna remained largely unresponsive, with her eyes rolling back.
Devastating Diagnosis and Life-Saving Surgery
After a CT scan revealed anomalies, Sienna was transferred to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham. There, an MRI scan confirmed the shocking diagnosis: Acute Necrotising Encephalitis (ANE). This severe and rare brain condition was not caused by the flu directly but was triggered by it.
"She was a really healthy girl," Gary said. "She started school in September and was thriving... There were just no underlying issues." To protect her brain, Sienna was placed in an induced coma.
Her fight for life intensified when she also suffered a leak in her intestines, requiring emergency surgery. The procedure removed 60% of her intestines and saved her life, but it means she will likely have short bowel syndrome for life, facing potential ongoing issues with nutrition.
A Long Road Ahead and a Vital Message
The family has been told Sienna could remain in hospital for the next three months or longer for rehabilitation, shattering their Christmas plans. She has already missed her school's Christmas dance show and a planned trip to Lapland UK.
Gary, his wife, and their seven-year-old daughter Adriana are trying to maintain normality. "We don't think she's going to be home for Christmas," Gary said. "But that's fine because whenever she comes home, we can have a Christmas in July."
Reflecting on the ordeal, Gary delivered a crucial public health message. He revealed Sienna had not received the annual flu jab and urged other parents to consider vaccination. "The big takeaway... is to vaccinate for the flu," he stated. "If you can just protect your child with a vaccination... I wish we would have done it."
The family has set up a GoFundMe page to support Sienna's long and complex recovery journey.
