Amanda Hall says her sister, Nicola "Nicky" Hillier, thought she was coming down with a cold in early March.
I can't get out of bed, I've got a bad headache and I've been sick and I've got a cough.'
She was placed on life support and, on March 21, Hillier was brought out of her medically induced coma.
She's struggling with potential vision loss in one eye, and walking unassisted is a challenge.
But right now, as Hall told Kennedy News and Media, "She's basically living in her bedroom at the moment.
NEED TO KNOW
Nicola Hillier was found unconscious after her cold symptoms turned out to be bacterial meningitis
She was placed on life support and now faces lasting effects, including deafness and potential vision loss
A GoFundMe was created to help her navigate financial struggles and adjust to her new challenges
A woman who was told to take over-the-counter painkillers for her cold was found "barely breathing" on her floor after an undiagnosed case of bacterial meningitis spiraled out of control.
Amanda Hall says her sister, Nicola "Nicky" Hillier, thought she was coming down with a cold in early March. But as symptoms progressed to severe fatigue and night sweats, Hillier, from the English town of Swindon, called an emergency line to get a doctor's appointment, Hall tells Kennedy News and Media.
From left: Amanda Hall with her sister Nicky Hillier
Credit: Kennedy News & Media
Hall says her sister informed the staff, "'I'm feeling really poorly, I've had a temperature for five days and I'm sweating so much that I'm having to change my pajamas every couple of hours. I can't get out of bed, I've got a bad headache and I've been sick and I've got a cough.' "
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She was unable to get a doctor's appointment, so Hall says, "They basically told her to go get some paracetamol [the U.K. version of Tylenol] and she said 'I can't even get out of bed.' "
"That is the last anybody had heard from her overnight."
The next morning, Hillier, who works in an HR department, hadn't checked in with her job. "She usually checks in even when she's not well, so [the boss] went to HR and asked for her next-of-kin contact, which was her ex-husband," Hall says.
"The ex got over the gate at the back of the house, got into the house and found her collapsed in a very, very poor state," Hall says. She was "barely breathing."
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She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors determined she'd had streptococcus pneumoniae — which progressed to her spinal cord and brain, causing meningitis.
From left: Nicky Hillier with her sister Amanda Hall
Credit: Kennedy News & Media
Meningitis — swelling of the meninges, or protective tissues around the brain and spinal cord — can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. It's also spread through close contact with an infected person, such as through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing. Bacterial meningitis is the most deadly type of infection.
She was placed on life support and, on March 21, Hillier was brought out of her medically induced coma. She's since been left with significant, long-lasting damage from the ordeal.
Hillier, who turns 50 this month, is now deaf in both ears. She's struggling with potential vision loss in one eye, and walking unassisted is a challenge. "Double vision and exhaustion that make even reading information difficult, let alone completing the volume of paperwork needed, even with help from friends and family," according to a GoFundMe established to help Hillier, who is left to "navigate the complex maze of financial support, disability benefits or housing assistance. She is physically and mentally exhausted, trying to process a world where she can no longer hear. Anyone that knows Nic will know how much she adored music and a good party!"
Nicky Hillier
Credit: Kennedy News & Media
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But right now, as Hall told Kennedy News and Media, "She's basically living in her bedroom at the moment. She's not really living life at the moment, she's getting through it. It's just been awful for everybody, it's just been absolutely shocking."
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As Hillier shared on the fundraiser, "This won't be a massive speech as I only have one eye working I just wanted to say that I am totally overwhelmed but the generosity of you all. People I don't even know have donated and I am truly thankful to each of you …"
"Thank you again from the bottom of my heart ❤️."
PEOPLE has reached out to Amanda Hall for comment.
Read the original article on People
