Meningitis is one of the most insidious diseases a toddler could ever get, and that is because its symptoms could be easily dismissed, or even mistaken for symptoms of a common cold or flu.
That was precisely what mother Terri Lewsley thought at first when her son Taylor got sick. But when his temperature shot up and further worsened, she decided to seek medical help.
According to a Yahoo! report, the doctors warned Terri that her son would likely not make it, and she should prepare to say her goodbyes.
When he was placed in a medically-induced comatose, however, Taylor hung on, and, slowly, made a miraculous recovery—surprising both the doctors and his family.
But this isn’t without a price: they had to amputate Taylor’s left leg as well as all of his fingers and his toes to prevent the bacteria from affecting other areas of his body.
While being hospitalized for more than six months, he also suffered from kidney failure and underwent skin grafs.
Talking to Mirror, Terri said, “I was so relieved he had survived and we all focused on his recovery rather than his lost limbs.”
The doctors claimed that the boy may have gotten the bacteria when he had touched an infected object or when someone had coughed near him, but as a whole they may never know what had caused it.
“That’s the hardest part for us,” Terri told Inside Edition.
Taylor received a new prosthetic leg four weeks after being released from the hospital, and it doesn’t seem like he is going to allow his loss from holding him back.
When he first got it, it was more like a toy to him, said his mother. He’s now got the hang of how to put the prosthetic on, and is quickly adapting to walking with the limb.
What is meningitis?
Meningitis is a bacterial disease that causes inflammation in the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, said to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the Yahoo! report, Taylor had contracted the meningococcal septicemia strain, which causes fatigue, vomiting, chills, severe aches, diarrhea, and the dark purple rashes all over his body.
READ: Doctors amputated two limbs to save her life but she still succumbed to the deadly illness
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