My little girl, 7, came home from school with the sniffles – the next day she was dead
A LITTLE girl who came home from school with “the sniffles” died just one day later from Strep A.
Annaliese, who was just seven at the time, woke up in the summer of 2018 with a nasty cold.
The following day, business owner, Clare Louise, 54, picked up her daughter Annaliese from school early as she was “quite lethargic” and her hip was hurting.
The mum-of-three who lives in the Home Counties with her family, took Annaliese to her GP and the hospital, where she was discharged after having tests.
At that point, Clare was told that her daughter’s aches and pains were likely because of a cold.
She said: “I was concerned, but not really really worried.”
The following morning, little Annaliese woke up “crying with pain”, and had diarrhoea and “mottled” thighs.
Clare quickly took Annalise to hospital again where her condition began to worsen.
Tests soon revealed the little girl was suffering from Group A Streptococcal disease.
These infections are caused by the Strep A bacteria getting into parts of the body where it is not normally found, such as the lungs or bloodstream.
She then developed sepsis, a life-threatening condition where the body’s immune system overreacts to an infection and starts to damage tissues and organs.
And by 1pm the same day Annalise had died.
“We were all so distressed and my brain was going at 1000 miles per hour – I couldn’t take in the enormity of it,” Claire said.
“I didn’t realise at that moment that my life had changed forever.”
Strep A can be treated with antibiotics, but in Annalise’s case, the bug wasn’t picked up soon enough.
“As a mum, I felt like I failed,” Claire said.
She said she the grieving process very difficult at first.
“I felt quite isolated to begin with – a lot of people didn’t know what to say because losing a child isn’t something a lot of people go through.”
But, Clare and her family slowly began to realise that “grief doesn’t go away” and how to manage day-to-day life.
“Now, I want to share our story, offer a glimmer of hope, because she is very much still a part of the family.”
In October 2021, Clare channelled her emotions into writing a book, called And Always Annaliese, to help others with grief.
“I structured it in a way that was very emotional and personal, but then it also has practical advice to help support, not only those who are grieving themselves but also their support network.
“I decided to call it And Always Annaliese because I sign every card with that – she is still a part of our family and always will be.”
What is Strep A?
Group A Streptococcus, also known as Group A Strep or Strep A, are bacteria that can cause many different infections.
They are commonly found in the throat and on the skin, and some people have no symptoms.
Infections caused by Strep A range from minor illnesses to serious and deadly diseases.
They include the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat.
While the vast majority of infections are relatively mild, the bacteria can cause life-threatening illness called invasive Group A Streptococcal disease.
At least 426 people – including 48 children – have died from Strep A in the last eight months, UK Health Security Agency data suggests.
For comparison, In the 2017 to 2018 season, there were 354 deaths in total, including 27 deaths in children under 18.
What are the symptoms?
THERE are four key signs of invasive Group A Strep to watch out for, according to the NHS.
These are:
- A fever (meaning a high temperature above 38°C)
- Severe muscle aches
- Localised muscle tenderness
- Redness at the site of a wound
The invasive version of the disease happens when the bacteria break through the body’s immune defences.
This can happen if you’re already feeling unwell or have an immune system that’s weakened.
Two of the most severe examples of invasive disease are necrotising fasciitis – a very rare but life-threatening infection also called ‘flesh-eating disease’ – and toxic shock syndrome.
Who is at risk?
Some people are at higher risk of contracting the invasive form.
The NHS says those people include anyone who:
- is in close contact with someone who already has it
- is over the age of 65
- is diabetic
- has heart disease or cancer
- has recently had chickenpox
- has HIV
- uses some steroids or intravenous drugs
The time of year can also be a factor. Outbreaks can be rife in late winter and early spring, but the risk remains all year round.