A GRIEVING mum has told of her agony at losing her six-year-old daughter to meningitis and septicaemia after doctors dismissed her condition as “bruises”.
Kirsty Ermenekli, 32, from Oldham, was six months pregnant with her fourth child when Layla-Rose passed away on February 4 last year.
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She had taken her daughter to hospital with a high temperature, headache and stomach ache, but was advised to take her home.
Layla-Rose was then seen by a paediatrician who found a red patch on her hip, but doctors diagnosed it as a bruise.
After spending eight hours in the hospital, she went into cardiac arrest and died from meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia.
An internal report carried out by the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust criticised doctors and stated that Layla-Rose’s mother’s concerns were not listened to, while there were two missed opportunities to recognise the rash.
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An inquest ruled her death “could have been avoided if action had been taken in the early stages of her arrival”, adding: “There was clear non-compliance with policy and procedure”.
Kirsty said: “Doctors are wonderful – but a mother’s instinct is invaluable. I knew something was wrong with my daughter but nobody listened.
“If she had been treated sooner, perhaps she would still have been here today.”
Kirsty named her son, Laylen, in Layla-Rose’s memory. Together with her husband Ricky, 32, she is now calling for all children to be vaccinated against the disease regardless of their age.
The vaccine is currently recommended for babies aged eight weeks, followed by a second dose at 16 weeks, and a booster at one year.
The couple have raised more than £10,000 for charity Meningitis Now.
Layla-Rose was Kirsty and Ricky’s second eldest child and was adored by her family.
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“She was a typical girl; she loved dancing and she loved dressing up,” Kirsty recalled.
“She liked to look neat and tidy and she always had a bow in her hair. She had a temper too; she was very expressive and fiery.”
When Layla-Rose fell ill, Kirsty assumed she’d caught tonsillitis from her brother.
But when her temperature shot up, she called the NHS helpline, and after waiting on hold for an hour, eventually took her to be checked out.
Despite her vomiting, complaining of head pain and showing signs of a rash, Layla-Rose was checked by a doctor who advised Kirsty to take her home.
Kirsty said: “I told them it wasn’t a bruise and it had just come out of nowhere. But the doctors said it was a bruise.
“They started to spread – and I went into panic.”
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Layla began struggling to breathe and she was moved to a high dependency unit and given antibiotics. By now, she had been in hospital over six hours.
Kirsty recalled: “The staff still didn’t know what was wrong. They said she had an infection but that was it.”
At 3:50am, Layla stopped breathing.
“I saw the nurses move her pillow quickly and began resuscitation,” Kirsty remembered. “I was in shock; screaming hysterically.
“I called my husband who was at home looking after our other children, and he rushed to the hospital – but it was too late.”
Layla died at 4am.
At her funeral, Kirsty played Layla’s favourite songs from her dance shows.
“Her death was horrendous for us all,” said Kirsty. “My eldest daughter was heartbroken.
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“My son, Emrae, got a pillow with pictures of Layla on – and he carried it everywhere with him.
“I was heavily pregnant and the rest of my pregnancy was so hard.
“Laylen was born at home in May last year, still in the amniotic sac, and we feel that he is a gift from Layla. He has given us all a reason to smile and to look to the future.”
A list of missed opportunities in the internal report found doctors used an old document when assessing Layla-Rose, which failed to facilitate the early recognition of potential sepsis.
It also states Layla-Rose’s mother’s concerns were not listened to, while there were two missed opportunities to recognise the rash and delays to her being assessed.
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The report said: “The doctor who saw the patient initially did not recognise the rash, which was not documented at the time as being of a worrying nature, as a result the diagnosis of sepsis was missed for three and a half hours, during which treatment opportunities were missed.
“A second opportunity to spot any rashes was missed when the rash was noted prior to transfer and escalated, false re-assurance was given that this was not a new finding so no action was taken.”
The report says there was “failure to identify the advanced nature of the sepsis and treat accordingly” as well as “failure to recognise a ‘bruise’ as a purpuric rash and therefore as an indicator of meningococcal sepsis”.
Solicitor Jacqueline White from the clinical negligence department of the Oldham law firm Pearsons Solicitors said: “This is a terribly sad case involving the loss of a much loved daughter and sister.
“I sincerely hope that processes and pathways will now be put in place by the Trust to ensure that no other child falls through the net in the way that Layla-Rose did.”
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A disease that affects 3,200 people a year and leaves many with life-changing disabilities...
Meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord and can be caused by meningococcal bacteria and viral meningitis.
If it is not treated quickly, meningitis can cause life-threatening septicaemia (blood poisoning) and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves.
The two forms of the disease have different symptoms.
Around 3,200 people a year get bacterial meningitis. One in 10 die and many more are left with life-changing disabilities.
Viral forms of meningitis are less common and rarely life-threatening, but can have lifelong effects.
Infections peak during winter when bugs spread more easily in confined spaces.
Meningitis is usually passed on from people who carry the virus or bacterial form in their throat or nose, but aren’t ill themselves.
It can be spread through kissing, sneezing, coughing and sharing household items such as toothbrushes or cutlery.
It is thought that the bacteria are able to invade the body more easily via the nose and throat during winter due to recent infection with flu virus.
The illness can be caught from someone who is ill with meningitis but this is more rare.
Meningitis can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults.
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Dr Jawad Husain, Medical Director at The Royal Oldham Hospital, said: “We would like to express our sincere condolences to all of Layla’s family and friends following her sad and tragic death at The Royal Oldham Hospital on February 4 2017.
“We have carried out a thorough investigation into the care and circumstances surrounding Layla’s death and have shared our findings with her parents. We continue to be in contact with the family to provide feedback and support.”
Symptoms of meningitis include a fever, vomiting, a headache, a blotchy rash that doesn’t fade when a glass is rolled over it, stiffness in the neck, sensitivity to bright lights, drowsiness, cold hands and feet, seizures.
Only half of babies with meningitis show tell-tale signs – these are the symptoms every parent should watch out for.