The first Christmas without 16-year-old Levi Sears was incredibly difficult for his family. Now her parents want others to know about the warning signs and they want the government to step up and take action..
Levi Sear and mother Norlia Sear-Peterson
Christmas is no longer a time of celebration for families who have lost loved ones – something the Sawyer family knows all too well.
One moment Levi Sears was an ordinary 16-year-old hanging out with his friends after school – the next he was lying in a hospital bed, struggling to breathe.
Levi returned home from school complaining of muscle pain – then just hours later he was taken to the hospital, where he tragically died.
It was a sunny September day when the teen developed gastro-like symptoms, nausea and loss of appetite, prompting his worried mother to arrange a GP appointment for the following day.
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However, at 1.30am, Norlia was startled to hear a loud noise coming from the bathroom – her son’s condition was deteriorating rapidly and he had started vomiting.
When he became confused and incoherent, his mother called emergency services in desperation. He said, “I have never seen him so sick in my life.” ” Then he asked me, ‘Am I going to die?’ And of course, we’re all like, ‘No.'”
Tragically, Norlia’s deepest fears materialised as Levi was airlifted to Australia Children’s Hospital. About 60 physicians and specialists treated him for more than six hours in intensive care before he passed away.
Ms. Sayer-Petersen said purple ‘spots’ appeared on her son’s face and body before she was intubated to remove fluid from his lungs. Doctors performed CPR on Levi Sear for nearly 90 minutes after informing his heartbroken family that his heart was failing.
Levi Sear had not long since celebrated his 16th birthday.
Less than 24 hours after his initial symptoms appeared, he died of sepsis caused by the deadly bacterial infection meningococcal type B. “The paramedics did everything they could to save him,” Norlia said.
“There was nothing else they could do because the doctor said it (meningitis) spreads through the body like a tsunami.”
The UK has seen an increase in deaths from meningitis in recent times, mainly due to an increase in MenB cases. The year 2022/23 saw a significant increase with 33 deaths, and the recent increase in MenB cases in children aged one to four is particularly worrying.
Although Levi was vaccinated against meningococcal ACWY at school in Australia, the vaccine could not protect against the most deadly strain, meningococcal B. Levi’s mom is now urging parents to educate themselves about the risks associated with not getting vaccinated.
According to NHS guidelines, symptoms of meningitis include:
a high temperature.
The patient may experience cold hands and feet.
vomit.
Confusion.
Breathing rapidly.
The patient is experiencing muscle and joint pain.
Pale, blotchy or blotchy skin (this may be harder to see on brown or black skin).
Spots or rashes may be more difficult to detect on skin that is brown or black in colour.
Headache.
The patient may experience a stiff neck.
Aversion to bright light is a common symptom.
Children may experience excessive sleepiness or difficulty waking up.
Tour (tour).
In addition, children may:
Refuse feed.
Appears irritable.
Crying loudly.
They may display a rigid body posture or appear floppy or unresponsive.
They have a raised soft spot on the top of their head.
