Teen loses limbs in battle against shocking disease

Sara Loo was struck down with meningitis and has lost both legs and an arm to septicaemia. Photo / Supplied

Sara Loo was a healthy, active teenager - fit enough to be part of the high-performance sports unit at her school.

But within a day, the popular Invercargill student was fighting for her life as meningococcal disease suddenly struck her down. From initial flu-like symptoms, Sara developed a rash and septicaemia quickly set in.

In the weeks since she fell ill last month, the 18-year-old has been in and out of a coma, lost both legs below the knee, her right arm, and a lot of her bodily tissue. Her kidneys are still not functioning, she may yet lose her left arm and she will require extensive skin grafts at Middlemore Hospital.

The frightening thing for her family was how suddenly the illness could strike. "It came completely out of the blue," her father, Robert Loo, told the Weekend Herald.

"It's an awful disease. And I suppose for us as parents, we were sort of a little bit complacent. We didn't think meningococcal straight away, because like many people she was vaccinated - like all our children - against it. But she had a strain that wasn't covered by the vaccination."

"There's no family that is ever really immune from it. We didn't expect it, you can't plan for it, it just happens. You can't dwell on that - the whys and what ifs - they don't have an answer."

When Sara fell ill, her mother Caroline was at home and took her to her GP who administered antibodies and took Sara to the hospital.

"It's very fast-moving," Mr Loo said. "Septicaemia attacks every organ in the body really. Wherever blood travels, it's affected. There's no refuge from it really."

The number of operations and treatments Sara had been through since the illness took hold was "more than one could count really".

While Sara's mind is not completely clear of the drugs and treatments yet, she is aware of what she has lost, and naturally upset.

"But Sara is a very strong girl and has a very positive attitude to life. What was, and what could have been, is no longer perhaps the picture of her future. And we will help her develop a new picture."

The family had been contacted by quadruple amputees all over the world and heard about "the full lives they are leading afterwards".

Sara's strong faith, and the support of her church community, was also helping her through the ordeal. She recently came out of intensive care to begin a recovery that will take months.

"It doesn't matter how bitter the pill has been that we have had to swallow, we swallow it," Mr Loo said.

Sara's progress can be followed on the Facebook page 'Sara Loo - Get Well Soon!'

DEADLY DISEASE

* Meningococcal disease is caused by one of the most aggressive and virulent bacteria commonly found in the back of the throat. It is most common in children under the age of five years, although it can occur at any age.

* Meningococcal disease symptoms may include a high fever, headache, vomiting or refusal of food, sleepiness, a stiff neck and dislike of bright lights, joint and muscle pains and a rash. It causes meningitis (an infection of the brain membranes) and septicaemia (blood poisoning).

* Meningococcal septicaemia is the more dangerous and deadly of the two illnesses. It happens when the bacteria enter the bloodstream and multiply uncontrollably, damaging the walls of the blood vessels and causes bleeding into the skin. It is usually is associated with the purple rash. Septicaemia can lead to death within hours, or permanent disabilities such as scars and amputations.

MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE

1999
* Confirmed cases 333
* Probable cases 171

2000
* Confirmed cases 348
* Probable cases 132

2001
* Confirmed cases 489
* Probable cases 161

2002
* Confirmed cases 413
* Probable cases 144

2003
* Confirmed cases 388
* Probable cases 153

2004
* Confirmed cases 273
* Probable cases 68

2005
* Confirmed cases 199
* Probable cases 28

2006
* Confirmed cases 145
* Probable cases 15

2007
* Confirmed cases 93
* Probable cases 12