Golfer lends his support to Meningitis UK
27.04.10
A PROFESSIONAL golfer from Plymouth said he had feared for his seven-week-old daughter's life after a shock meningitis diagnosis.
Scott Drummond's youngest child Leaya was found to have the disease less than two months after her birth.
Having recovered, she has grown up without complications, and celebrates her fourth birthday on May 3.
Scott, who lives in Wembury with wife Claire and their two young daughters, is supporting World Meningitis Day today.
The 35-year-old sportsman is raising money for Meningitis UK and wearing the charity's logo on his golf shirt while competing in the PGA European Tour.
He urged parents to inform themselves about meningitis symptoms and to seek health advice immediately if they suspected their child had the disease.
Scott said: "I feared for Leaya's life. I don't think we openly said that to each other, Claire and I.
"With Leaya being so small, I immediately thought there was every chance that it could be life-threatening for her."
Scott said Leaya first became unwell the day after Father's Day while the family were walking at Mount Edgcumbe park.
He said: "She was really sleepy all day, which was unusual at the time. She was up through the night, really distressed and crying.
"The next morning her temperature was quite high, about 39C."
He said that because she did not have a rash, they did not think of meningitis.
Scott and Claire rang NHS Direct and a doctor advised them to see their local GP, who in turn told them they should take Leaya straight to Derriford Hospital.
As she had been born with jaundice, doctors decided to monitor her closely. They tested her spinal fluid with a lumbar puncture that day, and discovered that she had meningitis.
The family faced an agonising 48-hour wait until tests revealed whether she had the bacterial or viral form of the disease.
The bacterial type can be life-threatening, often leading to septicaemia and loss of limbs.
Viral meningitis is less severe, although it can leave people with debilitating after-effects.
Scott said: "When they first said 'it's meningitis', it was a shock.
"It was an incredibly traumatic two days waiting to find out which strain it was. You stew it over, contemplate and research."
Thankfully, tests revealed that Leaya had viral meningitis and she recovered after around 10 days of being ill with flu-like symptoms.
Scott said: "Because the signs and symptoms can sometimes be unclear, it can be difficult for parents to know whether their child has meningitis. It comes on so quickly, and can kill within hours.
"There isn't necessarily always a rash. My advice would be to just do the research and act quickly - it is better to get it checked rather than leaving it, even until the following morning."
MeningitisUK · Registered Charity No.1076774
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