An Edinburgh dad has spoken of the moment he and his wife thought they were going to lose their 14-month-old daughter after a terrifying Meningitis diagnosis.
Andrew Vipond and his wife Moyra feared the worst for their little daughter Emily after she was admitted to hospital and remained under the care of doctors for a month shortly after turning one in 2012.
Five years on, a sense of Deja Vu hit Andrew and Moyra when Emily started to experience hearing loss. After several thorough examinations by neurological doctors, a mass was discovered on Emily's brain and she underwent a procedure to avoid any further repurcussions.
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Now 11-years-old, Andrew has reflected on some of the hardest moments of his adult and parenting life, as he and his daughter prepare to give something back to the doctors and nurses at Edinburgh's Sick Kids.
Speaking about Emily's original Meningitis diagnosis and how it transpired, Andrew, from Joppa, told Edinburgh Live: "We had to fight to make sure it was recognised as something as serious as it was.
"The original diagnosis took two or three trips to the hospital and we were initially told it was nothing to worry about. At that point, we basically said that we're not happy and we're not leaving. They then tested her spinal fluid, which should be crystal clear, and if it isn't then there is bacteria in it which is Meningitis.
"Most people associate it with a red rash but the most terrifying aspect of it all was not knowing what was wrong. Emily experienced sky-high temperatures and then started to just want to be cuddled and at a certain point she started to experience a lot of stiffness around the neck.
"We then escalated it as much as we could. It was one of those things where you don't know what you're dealing with it's much scarier. Before the diagnosis not knowing was the problem."
As soon as Emily was given the diagnosis, Andrew and Moyra say their hearts sunk as they knew how serious it was. Emily was diagnosed with bacterial Meningitis, a rarer and more serious form of the condition.
Following the discovery, Emily was admitted to hospital for four weeks and most of her time under the care of doctors was spent adjusting to medication and recovering.
Andrew continued: "My mum is a nurse and it really hit home when she burst into tears after we received the diagnosis. It had an effect on me and my health too. We knew a family growing up that lost a child to Meningitis so my mum was carrying all of that as well.
"It was the end of November and start of December, 2012, that she took ill. We were in for four weeks and got her out just before Christmas. The fact that she was young and it being Bacterial Meningitis made it even more serious.
"For a good part of the spell in hospital she was only awake for a couple of hours a day. My wife just wouldn't leave her side so I was looking after our other child, it had a huge impact on all our lives."
Many years later and after no other health concerns, lightning struck twice as Emily's parents noticed she was struggling to hear properly from her right ear. Having already been in constant contact with a neurological consultant at the Sick Kids from Emily's Meningitis diagnosis, Andrew and Moyra spoke with him and they decided on moving forward with an MRI scan.
It was later discovered that Emily had lost all hearing in that ear which was linked with Meningitis - but doctors confirmed the mass that developed on her brain was a coincidence.
Andrew added: "We resigned ourselves to fact that this was probably what we were dealing with, but overall felt we were lucky considering how badly Emily could have been affected. After all, there were two occasions in the initial hospital stay that we thought we were going to lose her.
"The MRI confirmed the nerve damage and hearing loss, but they also spotted something else. There was a large mass deep in her brain, which was causing Hydrocephalus. The mass was causing a blockage and stopping the natural drainage of brain fluid.
"Hydrocephalus is the build-up of fluid and pressure within the brain, which can be fatal without treatment. So, we now knew we were dealing with hearing loss, because of the Meningitis, but we were told that the growth in her brain was unrelated and not caused by meningitis.
"We also knew that Emily had to undergo brain surgery for the Hydrocephalus. We didn’t know if the mass was cancer, but we were told that because of where it was located, it couldn’t be removed.
"Emily underwent a Endoscopic Fourth Ventriculostomy to create a new channel within her brain to allow the fluid to drain and relieve the build-up of pressure. The operation was a huge success. Within an hour of the operation, Emily was on the ward, sitting up in bed, watching a DVD and eating Jam toast.
"Emily has always been and incredibly strong and determined young lady."
Following surgery, Emily, now 11, visits the hospital for check-ups and MRI's under the same consultant and since undergoing the procedure on her brain, the mass hasn't changed sizes or shape in five years.
Now, after wanting to give something back to staff at the Sick Kids and the Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity, Andrew and Emily are tackling a different challenge each month of the year. In January, the pair gave up sugar and reached an initial goal of £1,000 in just a day.
So far this month (February), Andrew and Emily are going vegetarian. The fundraiser on Just Giving has already surpassed the £2,000 mark and both Emily and her parents loving trying new things and enjoying a healthy lifestyle.
To donate to Andrew and Emily's fundraiser, you can do so here.
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