Tracey Shephard and her partner David Luffingham lost their daughter to meningitis and are now sharing their story as a warning to parents and medical professionals throughout England. The 11-year-old, Annalise, was admitted to the hospital but never received the life-saving drugs to treat the infection. The staff working on her case didn’t refer her to a specialist in time, withholding the antibiotics that could’ve saved her life. Her parents hope that by sharing her story, another family can avoid a similar tragedy.
About Meningitis
According to the CDC, there are a number of different forms of meningitis (viral, bacterial, and fungal to name a few), but they all cause inflammation of the protective covering of the spinal cord and brain. However, it is important to determine which type of meningitis one has, as it greatly impacts which treatment should be administered. In Annalise’s case, she was impacted by bacterial meningitis.
This infection can be caused by a number of bacteria, such as Streptococcus pneumonia and Group B Streptococcus. In most cases, this bacteria is spread from person to person, although it is possible for some cases to spread through contaminated food. Regardless of transmission, this infection causes symptoms such as fever, stiff neck, headache, photophobia, nausea, vomiting, and confusion. If a newborn is infected, their symptoms will include inactivity, poor feeding, vomiting, irritability, abnormal reflexes, and a bulging soft spot on their head.
It is possible to prevent meningitis infections, as vaccines exist for certain forms. If one does contract meningitis, it is essential to receive treatment with antibiotics as soon as possible. Without it, there may be severe complications or death.
Annalise’s Story
Annalise’s parents want her story to act as a warning to others, as they do not want anybody else to suffer the way they have. It begins when they took their daughter to the hospital, concerned because she had been suffering through a week of headaches, eye pain, fever, dizziness, confusion, and vomiting.
Croydon University Hospital’s children’s A&E admitted Analise on the morning of February 11, 2020. She should have received prompt treatment with a quick recognition of her symptoms, which would have led her to receive the antibiotics she needed. Unfortunately, this is not what happened.
She was never referred to a pediatric specialist and never administered treatment. After some time in the hospital, she went into cardiac arrest before being resuscitated and transferred to another hospital. Doctors did what they could, but she passed away the following day.
Tracey and David knew that their daughter’s death could have been avoided. They utilized medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the case and Croydon Health Services NHS Trust. The Trust has already admitted its own liability, and the investigation revealed that Annalise died due to natural causes contributed to by neglect.
They found that the staff incorrectly screened for sepsis, stopping the proper sepsis protocol from occurring. Annalise didn’t see a pediatric specialist until three hours after she was admitted, and a first examination led doctors to treat her with ibuprofen and paracetamol. It was not until nearly seven hours after being admitted that Annalise was administered intravenous antibiotics. Finally, the investigation found that the staff did not react properly to the 11-year-old’s deterioration either. There were 11 issues with her care and 17 recommendations in the end.
Looking Forward
While devastated by Annalise’s passing, her parents are working tirelessly to ensure that it wasn’t in vain. They raise awareness and funds for meningitis, actively working towards earlier detection and treatment. They hope no other family has to suffer the loss that they did. In David’s own words,
“By sharing our story we just hope to save lives in the future as people become more aware of the symptoms and of the impact this horrible disease can have.”
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