Teenager with meningitis shares graphic photos of rash to raise awareness

Charlene Colechin spent nine days in a medically-induced coma and may need to have her feet amputated

Charlene Colechin contracted bacterial meningitis, which is rarer and more serious than the virus (Facebook: Charlene Colechin)

A teenager who nearly died of meningitis has shared graphic photos of the rash that covered most of her body.

Charlene Colechin, 18, said in a post on Facebook that the disease had caused her organs to fail and her heart to stop but doctors had saved her life. Now she wants to raise awareness of "the reality of what meningitis can do".

Ms Colechin is believed to have contracted bacterial meningitis, which is rarer and usually more serious than viral meningitis.

She said that the pictures of her rash provided a graphic illustration of what had happened to the outside of her body, but pointed out that the disease had also poisoned her blood.

"It made all my organs fail which did course [sic] me to die, but obviously they brought me back", she said.

The hair stylist and makeup artist from Chesterfield in Derbyshire has been in hospital for a month and spent nine days in a medically induced coma, the BBC reported.

Ms Colechin said that because doctors were concentrating on keeping her alive, they did not prioritise saving her extremities. Her feet have been so badly ravaged by the disease that they may now have to be amputated. She said she believed her toes will certainly need to be removed.

“I had the meningitis jab but it only covered viral meningitis,” Ms Colechin told the BBC, adding that she felt lucky to be alive.

“I was screaming because I was in that much pain,” she said.

Charlene Colechin contracted bacterial meningitis, which is rarer and more serious than the virus (Facebook: Charlene Colechin ) (Facebook: Charlene Colechin)

“I kept throwing up, then I had a really bad headache like a migraine, and all my body was aching.”

Paramedics were called to see Charlene Colechin on September 6 but thought she had flu because she did not have any marks on her body at that point.

However, her condition worsened and the rash appeared the following day, when paramedics rushed her to hospital.

“Within minutes I was on a drip in the ambulance on the way to Chesterfield Hospital,” she said.

“I was in a coma for nine days because all my organs were failing.

"I did [technically] die but obviously they brought me back."

She is now waiting for tests to see what parts of her feet will need to be amputated.

”My heels are black,“ she said. ”That could mean dead tissue, which could be infected and which could go up my legs.“

Meningitis is usually transmitted by people who carry the viruses or bacteria in their nose or throat but aren't ill themselves, although it can sometimes be caught from people who actually have the disease.

The illness can be spread through sneezing, coughing, kissing, and sharing utensils, cutlery and toothbrushes.

Ms Colechin hopes that sharing her photos will encourage other people to take precautions against contracting the disease and, if they do become ill, will help them to spot the symptoms more quickly.