Bucks Fizz singer Jay Aston has revealed that her teenage daughter Josie is critically sick in hospital after being recognized with bacterial meningitis.
In accordance with The Mirror, the 18-year-old was rushed to intensive care and put in an induced coma after her organs started to fail.
After virtually a month of being in hospital, Josie continues to be in a specialist kidney unit and has been instructed that sadly she can be completely scarred.
Singer Jay stated: “It’s been completely devastating. We had been instructed it was 50/50 whether or not she would pull by. We nonetheless don’t know when she’ll be coming dwelling.
“I sat by her bedside night time after night time prepared her to make it. I couldn’t consider this was her destiny, as a result of she’s such a beautiful individual. She’s outgoing, sort, good-willed and lively. It simply felt so merciless.
“I’ve been doing loads of praying. She’s my world – we’re ridiculously shut. I simply couldn’t think about being with out her.”
Josie was rushed to hospital final month after Jay, 60, noticed a rash on her daughter’s arm which she instantly recognised as meningitis.
Docs later stated that if it was not for her quick-thinking, her daughter wouldn't have survived.
The ordeal started on March 22 when Josie phoned her mum and stated she felt unwell.
Jay drove to the household dwelling in Kent to search out her daughter shaking.
She recalled: “She’d been mendacity out within the solar so I assumed it was perhaps heatstroke. A few days earlier than that she’d complained that her joints had been aching, which I’d put all the way down to rising pains.”
However when Josie developed a headache, neck ache and a temperature which didn’t come down with paracetamol, Jay known as 111 and an ambulance was ordered.
She stated: “That was 6.45 pm, however the ambulance didn’t come. Her temperature reached virtually 40. I began to get actually nervous. In the midst of the night time, she stated: ‘Mum, I’m not proper.’ I noticed pink dots on her arm.”
Jay immediately realised it may very well be meningitis as her guitarist husband-of 22 years, Dave Colquhoun, Josie’s father, contracted it 19 years earlier.
They shortly drove her daughter to the close by Princess Royal College Hospital in Farnborough, Kent.
Inside an hour Josie’s complete physique was lined within the rash and the next day, when her lungs started to fail, she was taken to intensive care the place she was put into an induced coma, given oxygen and handled with antibiotics.
Jay recalled: “Docs stated all her organs had been failing and it was 50/50 whether or not she would stay. I couldn’t consider what I used to be listening to. She was solely 18 and only a few days earlier she’d been 100% match and wholesome.
“She was nearly to go on vacation together with her finest pals and begin a brand new job in gross sales and advertising and marketing, which she was actually trying ahead to.”
Bacterial meningitis may cause life-threatening blood poisoning.
It normally happens when micro organism enters the bloodstream and travels to the mind and spinal twine. Extra severe and far rarer than viral meningitis, one in 10 instances are deadly. It usually strikes abruptly and shortly worsens.
It can lead to everlasting injury to the mind or nerves and amputation of affected limbs is usually vital.
Josie remained within the coma for 5 days, with Jay sleeping beside her mattress in a chair.
She stated: “I used to be prepared her to drag by. I held her hand however one had traces in it and on the opposite the rash was weeping and blistered. It was horrible.”
After 5 days docs took Josie out of the coma, however there was no enchancment. Jay stated: “She didn’t come spherical for 2 days. They had been the 2 worst days of my life. There was no response. I knew it might go both method.
“However I couldn’t let myself suppose that I would lose her.
“Dave and I are fairly spiritual so we each did loads of praying. There have been tears, however I wished to carry it collectively for each of us – he was very upset.”
Ultimately Josie opened her eyes and after a day she started to talk.
However realising her kidneys had been broken, docs moved her to Kings School Hospital in south London to be handled in its specialist kidney unit.
Jay stated: “The docs and nurses have been unbelievable. They’re nonetheless not pleased with the outcomes of her blood checks, so she’s having blood transfusions and kidney dialysis. Her kidneys are recovering, however not totally working.”
Josie additionally nonetheless has a rash on her brow and knees and has been warned she could have everlasting scars on her legs the place the rash triggered the pores and skin to blister and fall off.
Her ft are swollen and bandaged the place the rash continues to be weeping and the pores and skin on her left hand fell off.
Jay stated: “She’s had difficulties standing due to the ache in her ft and one toe was fully black.It’s fairly frequent to lose limbs when you have got meningitis so badly. We thought they could must amputate it, however fortunately, it’s coming again.
“Josie has been extremely courageous, however her spirits are low. She’s determined to get dwelling. There have been blood transfusions, ECGs, she’s obtained an enormous line in her neck and he or she’s been on and off dialysis. She’s not going to be properly for months, probably the remainder of the yr.”
Jay, who shot to fame when Bucks Fizz gained the 1981 Eurovision Track Contest with Making Your Thoughts Up, nonetheless performs with two of her unique bandmates, Cheryl Baker, 68, and Mike Nolan, 67, below their new title The Fizz. She is hoping to be again on stage with them later this month.
Jay has been by her personal well being battles, after being recognized with mouth most cancers in 2018 and Covid in 2021, however stated nothing compares to the worry of dropping her daughter.
The singer had seven operations – together with having a part of her tongue eliminated – which left her cancer-free.
She defined: “I had a horrendous time in hospital. The ache was unbelievable, however this has been the worst month of my life. I’m exhausted.
“Josie is my solely baby and I’d swap locations together with her in a heartbeat.”
The Mirror reported a pointy rise in instances of meningitis B, the sort Josie has, earlier this yr particularly amongst college college students, after the lifting of pandemic restrictions final yr.
Jay stated Josie needs her story to be instructed so as to warn different folks concerning the risks of the an infection, which might be unfold by sneezing, coughing and kissing.
Though Josie had a meningitis vaccination as a toddler, she hadn’t been vaccinated for this specific kind. Jay stated: “There are six or seven variations.”
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Jay hopes she could also be launched from hospital later this week, however is aware of there's a lengthy street forward.
She added: “If she hadn’t been in my mattress that night time, I’d have misplaced her. I’m hoping she is going to make a full restoration, however I’m simply elated that’s alive.
“She’s a terrific child; she’s pretty and humorous and I’m very fortunate and blessed to have her. No matter occurs subsequent, we’ll take care of it.”
- For extra info on all types of meningitis, and signs, go to www.nhs.uk/situations/meningitis
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