Overview
- Hannah Ewing, who first fell ill in November 2024, spent eight days in a medically induced coma after a lumbar puncture confirmed pneumococcal meningitis.
- She left hospital deaf in her left ear with about 20% loss in her right ear, received a hearing aid, and now lives with balance problems and post‑traumatic stress.
- After new symptoms on March 25, 2025, doctors treated a confirmed recurrence with antibiotics, and a later rheumatology referral identified lupus as the cause of her rash.
- A difficult lumbar puncture injured a nerve, which left her unable to walk for a time and required a wheelchair and six months of physiotherapy to regain mobility.
- Following two recent meningococcal deaths in Kent, the Meningitis Research Foundation urges people to check MenACWY vaccination status and seek urgent help at the first signs, noting vaccines do not cover every strain.