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Katie-Louise's story

16th November 2019

Roisin’s baby daughter Katie-Louise fell ill at just four weeks with Group B strep meningitis, leaving her with severe after-effects. The family spent a precious four months with her before the disease proved too much for her little body and they faced the agonising decision to turn her life support off

Katie-Louise's story

Roisin, from Belfast, tells their story here.

“My beautiful princess was a gorgeous, healthy baby girl born nine weeks early, but a big girl at 5lb in weight."

“She took ill at four weeks old at home, with no symptoms to start with other than turning grey from head to toe and a bad breath smell."

“I always had a massive fear of meningitis with my other children, but it never crossed my mind with Katie-Louise."

Rushed to hospital

“Little knowing what lay ahead, she was rushed to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and within two hours was in PICU on life support."

“Katie-Louise had unfortunately contracted Group B strep septicaemia, destroying our baby girl’s brain and body. She went on to have severe damage to her limbs, losing the top of all her wee fingers."

“Although she came off the ventilator 12 days later and was breathing on her own the only reason was that her brain stem was still untouched."

“We went on to care for her, have cuddles and even take her home after learning all about her care needs."

Took her to Lourdes

“We were with our daughter for another four months until it all got too much for her wee body. After taking her to Lourdes she deteriorated very quickly and after being readmitted to the RBHSC our precious girl’s life support, which she had put back on, was turned off on 18 January 2006 – on her daddy's birthday."

“She went on to last until 1.09am on the morning of 19 January, falling asleep at almost the same time as her birth time."

“Never in a million years did we ever imagine having to make such a massive decision as to turn off our child's life support and this will always haunt us, but her memory lives on every single day.”

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