WHEN baby Nancy Shave developed a rash on her face, her mum thought it was just her eczema playing up.
But five days later, devastated Melissa Shave, 32, was told to say goodbye to her little girl who, aged just 20 months, had, in fact, developed Strep A.
Melissa, an NHS mental health nurse and mother of two, says: “She has eczema on her face so, looking back, I don’t think I looked at it the way I should have.
“I knew about Strep A but it’s one of those things you don’t think will happen.
“It was a horrible 48 hours of non-stop crying – we were in absolute shock.
“We thought we were going to lose her.”
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Nancy, born in June 2021, had been unwell for around two weeks before she deteriorated on Boxing Day last year.
Melissa, of Madeley, Newcastle under Lyme, says: “She was slumped over on her front and her tummy was sucking in while she was breathing.”
Melissa drove the tot to hospital, refusing to wait for an ambulance.
She says: “I remember thinking, ‘Don’t stop breathing’.”
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By New Year’s Eve, Nancy was in dire straits, infected with several bugs – but it was Strep A threatening her life.
Melissa says: “She wasn’t getting enough oxygen and was having fits.”
Nancy was given a total of eight chest drains and was put on a ventilator, which “blew a hole” in one of her lungs.
With “not much hope” left, doctors used an ECMO machine – a device which acts as an external set of lungs, used for patients with severe respiratory failure – and Nancy remained in hospital for two months.
Melissa, who is married to Lawrence, says: “We were told she might die. Luckily, she pulled through.
“She has been left quite weak. She is on long-term antibiotics [and] has scarring on her lungs.
“But we are hoping for a full recovery with her being so young.”
Symtpoms of a Strep A infection
Strep A is a common type of bacteria and most infections from it are mild and easily treated with antibiotics.
Some infections, however, can become more serious.
Common symptoms of a Strep A infection include:
- flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, swollen glands or an aching body
- sore throat (strep throat or tonsillitis)
- a rash that feels rough, like sandpaper (scarlet fever)
- scabs and sores (impetigo)
- pain and swelling (cellulitis)
- severe muscle aches
- nausea and vomiting
The NHS says you should trust your instincts if you think your child is seriously ill – you know better than anyone else what your child is usually like, so you'll know when something is very wrong.
You should call 999 or go to A&E if:
- your child is having difficulty breathing – they may make grunting noises, or you may notice their tummy sucking under their ribs
- there are pauses when your child breathes
- your child’s skin, tongue or lips are blue or grey – on black or brown skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake
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