Parents are being urged to be vigilant for signs of tonsillitis after a 17-year-old girl died from a rare blood disorder that developed from the common illness. Leah Rogers, from Briton Ferry, Wales, fell ill during a holiday in Majorca in May last year and passed away on June 7, just three months before her 18th birthday.
Leah's symptoms initially appeared as a severe case of tonsillitis, a condition she had experienced before. After returning home, her parents contacted an out-of-hours surgery and she was prescribed antibiotics, but her condition worsened. She was taken to hospital twice within a week, unable to eat or drink due to pain.
Doctors later diagnosed glandular fever, which led to liver inflammation and failure. Leah was transferred to intensive care and placed on life support, where she was diagnosed with haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a life-threatening immune condition triggered by an infection. Her father, Hugh, 58, said: 'The reality of the situation made us realise: never take life for granted.'
Tonsillitis, an infection of the tonsils, is common in children but can affect teens and adults. Symptoms include sore throat, difficulty swallowing, fever, swollen neck glands, and white or pus-filled spots on the tonsils. Most cases resolve within three to four days with rest and pain relief, but the NHS advises seeing a GP if symptoms persist beyond four days or if there are pus-filled spots or severe pain that prevents eating or drinking.
In rare cases, tonsillitis can lead to complications such as quinsy, a pus-filled pocket near the tonsils, which requires emergency medical attention. The NHS recommends calling 999 if symptoms include a rapidly worsening sore throat, swelling in the mouth or throat, difficulty speaking or swallowing, or trouble breathing.
