A Mother’s Heartbreaking Journey: Battling Meningitis and Unthinkable Loss
It was supposed to be a joyous occasion – an idyllic honeymoon for newlyweds Aimee and Craig Partridge, shared with their beloved family. Little did they know that this journey would mark the beginning of a harrowing journey that would change their lives forever. On that fateful trip, Aimee noticed black and blue marks on her daughter Brogan’s legs, initially assuming they were just bruises. However, these seemingly innocuous signs soon reveal an ominous truth – the unmistakable symptoms of meningitis.
After being taken to a doctor, the seven-year-old girl was taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where doctors had to amputate her left leg to save her life.
Aimee felt the marks did not match the photos she had seen of the meningitis symptoms. “It didn’t look like a rash, it looked more like a bruise — at the time I never thought it was meningitis, and that’s the problem,” she said.
Since meningitis damages the immune system and makes you more susceptible to other infections, one of the theories that Aimee and I entertained was that maybe Brogan got meningitis first and that’s how she got conjunctivitis. When people are aware of the signs of meningitis to watch out for, they often recommend looking for a rash, but that didn’t seem to be the case for me.
They believed that even though they were still struggling, the worst was behind them when Brogan was soon given a prosthetic leg. But the infection left Brogan’s remaining leg in excruciating pain, and the family had to decide whether or not to amputate it as well. She was in great discomfort as the virus killed the primary blood vessel in her remaining leg.
All of us, even Brogan, came to the conclusion that it was the best course of action for her according to the experts, Aimee added. She needed major surgery as the remaining leg was 50/50, but in 2017 she had a recurring infection. The leg is just too weak, and if we keep it, it could put it at risk later in life because the infection has progressed to the knee, according to Aimee. “The main blood vessel in her leg has gone and now she has no blood flow to her foot; the tendon in her toes has also gone. The weaker the leg, the more vulnerable it is to injury.”
The process of losing a second leg is very difficult, but Aimee believes that children tend to adapt quickly. Brogan, now nine, faced those obstacles head on. There is a risk that the disease may worsen and spread further if they choose to keep the other leg, increasing the likelihood of future problems.
Kids tend to adapt quickly and I believe Brogan will, Aimee said. “He knows the process and it’s not pretty, but I think he’s going to do it,” she said. “She was really upset at first, but now that she’s more grounded, she wants to get it over with.
For Brogan, the transition from one leg to none will be a big one, as she will lose the rest of her independence. There are always risks involved with anything, but we and the doctors agreed that this was the only workable solution. They can never be sure it won’t come back. We always hoped it wouldn’t happen, but after seeing the effects it had on her, we decided it was our only viable option.
Amid unimaginable pain and grief, the Partridge family decided to share their story as a stark reminder of the dangers of meningitis. They urged everyone not to ignore the warning signs of this potentially fatal disease and stressed the importance of awareness and early intervention.
Their story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, the power of family love and the need to spread awareness about meningitis. While their journey has been filled with unimaginable challenges, the Partridge family’s determination to ensure Brogan’s story is heard highlights the potential for strength and hope to emerge from even the darkest of trials.
Please pay attention to the warning signs of this disease.