A mother has issued a stark warning after her 11-year-old son was struck down by a rare and potentially fatal condition triggered by a chest infection, leaving him unable to walk or talk for months. Martine Purdy, 51, from Nottingham, found her son Franki on his bed with his fingers twisted backwards and making a strange murmuring noise.
Franki, now 13, had been battling a chest infection for five weeks and complained of leg pain, fatigue, and a mild fever. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors said he had just one hour to live. He was put into an induced coma and later diagnosed with meningoencephalitis, a rare form of bacterial meningitis combined with sepsis.
Doctors believe the chest infection spread to his brain, causing swelling. Franki spent a month in hospital relearning to walk, talk, eat, and swallow. Now, 19 months on, he struggles with short-term memory loss and requires help with basic tasks like bathing and dressing.
Martine recalled the terrifying moment she found her son: 'I couldn't rouse him; it was like he was on a different planet. He had already had two seizures, his right lung had collapsed, and he'd had a stroke.' She added that doctors said it was lucky Franki was fighting, as the condition can be fatal.
Franki is gradually returning to school but finds it difficult to retain information. Martine hopes her story will raise awareness of the warning signs of meningitis and sepsis.
