Hannah's Story

It was the last day of February 2002 at around 6.30pm, when Hannah had a very high temperature and was taken to the local A.E., where she was kept overnight. She woke up the next morning and asked for sweets, instantly I noticed Hannah had a few rashes on her tummy.
As I called the nurses Hannah fainted and went into a coma, as the nurse ran, I realized she had stopped breathing.

Within minutes she was surrounded by several nurses and doctors. I was told she had the worse type of meningitis meningococcal septicemia. It was the start of our worst nightmare. As they tried to save her life, she was not responding to treatment, she was declining, she was losing her life. I was told to prepare for the worst. Six hours later
she was stable enough to be transferred to intensive care unit.

For the next eight hours Hannah was not responding to treatment and her chances of survival was five percent. Twenty four hours later while still hooked up so many machines to keep her alive she was slowly responding to treatment. And so Hannah began her life of the unknown. Twice a week for three months Hannah had to go to the theatre for several operations. Finally we were informed that both of Hannah’s feet had to be amputated; otherwise her life would be in danger all over again. It had to be done.

What would life hold for her? How would she cope? What would be her quality of life? On the day of the operation while she was in surgery, I was called to go directly to the waiting room next to the operating room, accompanied by a nurse I waited thinking why.
The surgeon left Hannah on the operating table to ask for permission to amputate from both knees, otherwise her life would be in danger. A few days later Hannah went to theatre to get the dressing on both legs changed, she had to be put under anesthetic.

I was again called accompanied by a nurse to the same waiting room, the surgeon needed to talk to me urgently while Hannah was lying on the operating table. He came into the waiting room and asked permission to amputate both of Hannah’s hands as well. Hannah began her change of life.

Hannah often suffers from phantom limb pain, every 6 weeks or so which is often suffered by amputees, It is a constant excruciating pain that lasts for 2 to 3 days in her case. She never complains even then. Today Hannah embraces every minute of everyday.

Thankfully she is healthy and it has not affected her mental health. Hannah is a confident and outspoken young girl. She loves playing football, enjoys skipping dancing and swimming. Hannah attends a mainstream school, and is one of the top three academic achievers in her class.

Hannah is obsessed with books, she loves to read. Her confidence is boundless.