Man who saved girlfriend’s life in terrifying ordeal urges others to look for warning signs
When Aarron Pryde went to bed on the night of May 25, he never dreamt that he'd be frantically trying to save his girlfriend's life just hours later.
Aarron, from Newtongrange, had gone to sleep on the sofa that night to give his girlfriend Amy, who was feeling unwell and had a fever, some rest.
But at 3am, Aarron found Amy unconscious and not breathing. The 31-year-old had suffered a seizure and would later be diagnosed with meningitis.
Aarron said: “She wasn’t breathing and she was blue. I phoned 999 and administered CPR and managed to get her breathing again. The paramedics arrived just as she woke up and she was still really disoriented, she didn’t know where she was and couldn’t talk.
“She got rushed into the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh but by the time she got to A&E her condition had gotten worse, her head was really swollen at this point and it turned out that she had meningitis which had spread to almost all of her brain.”
Amy underwent two brain surgeries with doctors removing a part of her skull to release pressure. Amy’s condition has left her paralysed on one side of her body and she is now receiving speech and language therapy.
‘Their duty of care that is beyond amazing’
Two weeks after being admitted, Amy developed a blood clot in her brain with doctors sharing devastating news that her condition was severe and they could not guarantee that she would survive.
Aarron said: “It was horrible news. We got told that she was going to die and the news destroyed us. But as days went on she started to get better and you could really see an improvement.
“The intensive care unit kept her alive, a nurse has been with Amy 24-7 and there is always someone by her side. It was like every day after that, it was nothing but good news, she was getting better, she was more responsive and she was waking up and knowing where she was.
“She still has a long way ahead and another operation, but she now laughs and smiles and she'll grab my shirt if she wants a cuddle, for example. But it’s been a horrible time.
“I got to know the nurses very well and they were lovely – there were even times when nurses from other wards would check on Amy and also how us as a family was doing as well. They’re duty of care that is beyond amazing.”
Raising money and awareness
Aarron has visited Amy in hospital every day since she was admitted and has seen first-hand how nurses and doctors have cared for his girlfriend of nearly four years.
He said: “Amy is now more aware and she knows where the scar on her head is and that she's had brain surgery. She also knows that her hair is missing and I don't want her to go through this by herself.
“So I decided I’ll shave off half of my hair as well, and after thinking about it more I thought I can raise money for the hospital at the same time. I want to give a massive thank you to the intensive care unit for everything that they have done.
“But more importantly I want to raise awareness about the warning signs for meningitis because I don’t think it’s really spoken about much. If someone reads this story and thinks they have the same symptoms that Amy had it could potentially save their life.”
You can donate to Aarron’s fundraiser by visiting the gofundme website.
According to the NHS, meningitis ‘is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord and can be very serious if not treated quickly.’
It adds: “It can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults. A number of vaccinations are available that offer some protection against meningitis.
Symptoms include: a high temperature, headaches, vomiting, a stiff neck, drowsiness, seizures, a dislike of bright lights and a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it.