A COUPLE have issued a warning to other parents to be familiar with the symptoms of meningitis after their three year old son almost died of the disease.
Douglas and Siobhan Couttie feared the worst after their Euan developed septicaemia, the blood poisoning form of the disease, from meningitis C, despite receiving the vaccine.
The boy is on the mend after doctors spent several days battling to save his life earlier this year.
However, the Coutties said they lacked basic awareness of the symptoms which include the sudden onset of fever, severe headaches and nausea and vomiting.
Mr Couttie, 30, of Banknock, Stirlingshire, said: “We thought he was maybe coming down with something. We made sure he was drinking fluids, gave him Calpol and put him to bed.
“Then through the night he was quite hot and shivery. He was sick a couple of times.
“One of the things we noticed was that his hands and feet were cold, whereas the rest of him was hot.
“I didn’t know then that it is one of the signs of meningitis."
“Blood pressure is affected - it gets very low. I could kick myself now, but I didn’t know it was one of the signs.
“We stayed with him all night and by the morning he was sleeping."
The following morning, Mr Couttie received a call at work from his wife who said her son had not responded to her attempts to wake him. He then developed purple marks on his body and she dialled 999.
In hospital, it was confirmed he had meningitis and septicaemia.
Mr Couttie, a commissioning engineer, said: “I spoke to the consultant and he told us he had a life threatening illness, that he was very very sorry and to prepare for the worst. Just thinking about it now makes me want to cry."
Euan was transferred to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh and put on kidney dialysis.
However, within days he was taken off the ventilator. Almost three weeks after being placed in an induced coma, doctors were able to wake him.
Mr Couttie said: “I will never forget the moment. He let out a wee wail.
“I was able to take him out and give him a cuddle. It was like holding a newborn.”
Euan is recovering well at home with his family, including one-year-old sister Alexis.
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