Jayden Nel

England Group B meningococcal (MenB) Young child 3-5 Parent

Total raised in memory of Jayden Nel

It was Friday 7th December 2012 and it was my week off work. I received a call at 7.30am from my friend Nat who was really worried about her 3 year old son Jayden. She said that he was sick during the night and had a type of rash and wasn't sure if it was chicken pox. I am a nurse so Nat asked me to go round to look at him. I immediately drove round. Nat lived just a few streets away so I was there by 7.40am.

When I arrived, Jayden was led in his bedroom in his pyjamas. I saw the rash was a reddy/purple colour, which looked liked small bruises. This was nothing like the pictures I had seen during my nurse training. I pressed on the rash and it did not blanch, I thought this could be Meningitis, but did not want to believe it. It was awful to see Jayden this way! I loved him like he was my own.

The bedroom light was on which did not seem to bother Jayden's eyes and he did not seem in any pain. His hands and feet were a bit cold. I made the decision to drive them to hospital. While Nat quickly got dressed, I carried him downstairs, he was limp but alert.

"I told him he was going for a ride in Auntie Shaz's car and he looked at me and nodded his head with a slight groan."

Nat sat in the back holding Jayden as we made the journey to the hospital which is about a 25 minute drive away. Nat was talking away to Jayden during the Journey. I said to her that I would drop her off at the A & E entrance and I would go and park the car. As we reached half way to the hospital, Nat said Jayden seemed worse and had became unresponsive, Panic set in and I rang for an ambulance. We were sitting in traffic approaching a roundabout at this point and as soon as I could, I pulled over into the Petrol Station. We were instructed over the phone to lay Jayden flat on the back seat. He was still breathing at this point and had a pulse The rash had spread over his body. I was preparing myself to resuscitate him if needed. Myself and Nat were still talking to him while he was led there and Jayden was making a groaning sound. The paramedics arrived within a couple of minutes and they put an oxygen mask on him and put a cannula into his tiny arm, and said they were treating him for meningitis.

Myself and Nat were extremely devastated but relieved that he was getting the care he needed. The paramedics got him into the smbulance and rushed him to A&E. Nat rang her family to come straight to the hospital. Jayden looked lifeless, he was wired up to machines and loads of doctors and nurses surrounded his bed. The nurse told us all that Jayden had meningococcal septicaemia, he was extremely poorly and may not survive.

"We were all hysterical and we were asked if we wanted to go to see Jayden to say our goodbyes. This made me feel sick. I reluctantly walked along the resus corridor with Nats Mum and saw the doctors trying to resuscitate Jayden."

Nat and Jayden's Dad Terry were standing by his bedside watching. It was so heartbreaking, I heard their screams. Jayden sadly passed away at 10.00, he couldn't fight it. Within a few hours, Jayden deteriorated so quickly, it was unbelievable. We all felt so numb and could not accept what had happened.

The Wednesday before it happened, myself and Nat dropped Jayden off at nursery and went to Toys 'r' Us to buy him his Christmas presents. He was a healthy lively little boy who was excited for christmas! He should never have died at such a young age!

Nat set up a Rememberance Fund for Jayden through the Meningitis Research Foundation. We organised fundraising events which helped us to do something positive. The Charity have supported us all so much and helped us with our fundraising events.

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