A girl has been left with three amputated limbs after complaining about feeling ill to her parents.
Penelope Vidal-Walsh, 10, lost both legs and an arm after being diagnosed with a severe disease and experiencing heartbreaking health complications.
On 10 April this year, the girl from Southport headed to bed after saying she didn't feel well.
At around 2am, Penelope woke up and threw up, and while her father, Ricardo Vidal, checked her wellbeing, he didn't spot anything of concern and put her back in bed.
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Morning came, and though she ate breakfast as normal, she threw up again at 8:30am. After putting Penelope in the bath, Ricardo noticed a purple mark on her neck, along with a similar coloured rash on her knee.
She was eventually rushed to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, where she was sedated and put in intensive care.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo at the time, Penelope's aunt Angel Walsh said that her parents tried the glass test, an NHS-approved test to check if a rash could be something more serious, such as meningitis or septicaemia.
It works by pressing glass against the affected area to see if it disappears under pressure - if it remains visible, it could be a sign of a serious infection.
This rash remained visible, meaning that they had to seek immediate medical attention.
Having first gone to Ormskirk Hospital, Penelope was transferred to Alder Hey by 9:30am.
There, the child was diagnosed with meningitis and was taken to intensive care, where she has spent the last 99 days fighting the disease and now recovering, according to Ricardo.
"During this time she beat the meningococcal disease and also a very rare fungal infection which caused severe complications," he explained.
Ricardo added: "As part of her treatment Penelope underwent a triple amputation surgery, which resulted in her losing her lower limbs and her right arm.
"She is currently undergoing skin grafting surgery as part of her rehabilitation and recovery."
As she continues to make progress, the father admitted that the family has gone through a 'rollercoaster of emotions', but remain supportive and grateful that she is still alive.
He thanked the staff at Alder Hey and Ormskirk Children’s A&E, as Penelope remains at the critical care unit of the former in preparation for a skin graft.
If all goes to plan, she could be discharged as soon as October.
"We want to give her the best quality life and opportunities to fulfil any of her dreams and hopes that she had before this occurred," Ricardo said of the family's attempts to raise funds for his daughter's future.
He aims to keep her being the 'energetic, fun, lively girl', adding: "She remains determined and motivated to keep building her strength. The strength and resilience she shows us every day is just incredible and we are just so proud of her."
You can donate to Penelope's fundraiser here.
Main symptoms of meningitis and sepsis
- High temperature/fever
- Confusion
- Cold hands/feet
- Breaking quickly
- Pain in the muscles and joints
- Vomiting
- Pale, mottled, or blotchy skin
- Spots or a rash
- Stiff neck
- Seizures
- Being very sleepy or difficult to wake
- Headache
- Dislike of bright lights
Babies might:
- Be irritable
- Have a high-pitched cry
- Have a stiff body or be unresponsive
- Have a bulging soft spot on top of their head
- Refuse feeds
Joshua Nair