A mom is sending a warning to other parents after her seven-year-old daughter almost died from contracting an infection in a hot tub.
According to the Daily Mirror, Jemma Hamilton is urging people to be mindful of danger after her little girl ended up with three abscesses on her brain that almost claimed her life.
Jemma says her daughter, seven-year-old Amelia Hamilton, picked up an infection in the family hot tub, despite it being regularly cleaned and its pH levels monitored daily.
Amelia initially fell ill with an ear infection in May 2018, four months after her family had purchased the hot tub.
Her symptoms passed within a week when she was treated with antibiotics, but it wasn’t long before Amelia began to complain about being dizzy and having double vision.
Jemma took her to an optician, but the child was quickly referred to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow, where her mom was warned her condition could be life-threatening.
Following her daughter’s harrowing ordeal, Jemma took to social media, stating: “It was a harrowing experience. I am so glad it can do something positive now.
“My mum cleaned the hot tub every day. She used the pH strips too. It wasn’t as if we were letting her get in dirty water or anything like that.
“After we spoke to the doctors when she was going through everything, they said the only way an infection can get to your brain is through your ear and water.
“It’s been water in the ear that has caused it. She hadn’t been swimming or anything like that. The only thing she was in was the hot tub.
“They said that’s what it could be, especially as they are high risk for bacteria. It was really difficult to hear because you think to yourself, ‘I really shouldn’t have put her in it’.”
Little Amelia underwent weekly MRI scans and hourly checks while three different antibiotics were fed through a drip.
“The first time they told me she had something wrong with her brain her dad wasn’t with me and I was in the room on my own,” Jemma continued.
“I remember freezing and the words they said to me after that just didn’t go in. It was as if I couldn’t process it at first. It was horrible.
“You get that gut-wrenching feeling that the world is ending. That’s your baby. She is everything to me. It was absolutely horrible.
“Amelia was really brave. She was never really that scared. I think kids are just really resilient though. They do just take it in their stride.
“She only remembers the positive things. She doesn’t ever mention the scary things that happened to her.
“She had three abscesses on her cerebellum. They didn’t want to operate or anything as it was right in the middle of her brain and it was a really difficult operation.”
Thankfully, Amelia has made a full recovery, but there can be no questioning that her journey has taken a toll on her family. Jemma is now studying to become a biomedical scientist and hopes to help other families suffering from infections.
Wow! How truly terrifying. I can’t imagine how scared Jemma and the rest of Amelia’s family must have been during this ordeal.
Thank God that Amelia got the care she needed and can now lead a happy, healthy life moving forward.
Share this article to help us get Jemma’s warning out there! You never know, you could save a life!
