Toddler diagnosed with Strep A: Lincoln mum shares experience

A Lincoln mum whose two-year-old has been diagnosed with Strep A has shared her experience to reassure others and help them know what signs to look out for.

Kirsty Murray’s daughter Amelia Davies, 2, was poorly over the weekend but at the time the Lincoln mum thought it was a common cold with a sore throat.

On Sunday, Amelia started to come out in a rash and was getting headaches, so Kirsty took her to the doctors, who confirmed it was Scarlet Fever and strep throat.

Gainsborough woman Lucy Radley, 21, was also recently diagnosed with Strep and said “I personally feel worse with this than I did with having COVID.”

Both women have shared their stories with The Lincolnite after fewer than five cases of Strep A were recorded in Lincolnshire as of December 6.

Awareness of the infection has heightened since the death of multiple children in recent weeks from the illness.

Concerned parent

Kirsty was worried for her daughter Amelia as on Monday and Tuesday she didn’t eat at all and barely drank, and had blisters on her tongue.

She has since seen improvements in her daughter and on Wednesday, December 7 she managed some food and drink, but is still poorly and covered in a rash, meaning she is off nursery.

Amelia has also had the symptom of red inflammation at the back of her throat.

Kirsty’s other daughter Freya, 3, has been suffering with tonsillitis since Monday, but also started getting the strawberry tongue and redness at the back of the throat. Doctors told Kirsty that as Freya is already on antibiotics, which will also cover her for if she does have Strep.

Kirsty praised her GP for being so reassuring and easing her worry about Amelia’s Strep diagnosis.

She said: “The GP had told me she was on the cusp of admission to hospital as she was mildly dehydrated.

“I am a worrier when it comes to my children and it was a concern, but I wasn’t overly worried as the doctor put me at ease.

“They gave me some antibiotics and advised me to keep up with the regular pain relief.”

Kirsty hopes that all other children who get Strep have a speedy recovery like her daughter, who is still poorly but on the road to getting better.

Her message to other parents is: “Just be mindful of the symptoms. If you think they’ve got the symptoms get it checked as soon as possible and try not to worry. Stay calm and keep up with the fluids.”

Kirsty was also a bit worried as she is pregnant and was unsure if the baby could get effected, but she said the doctor put her at ease and reassured her about this.

‘Worse than COVID’

Lucy Radley, 21, works as a dementia care home and had recently finished four 12-hour shifts. On her day off on Tuesday, November 29 she felt really run down and exhausted.

After explaining her symptoms to her mum she started feeling “very panicky” and was too poorly to go back to work the following day.

She returned to work on the Thursday and did a seven hour shift, but when she returned on Friday she started not to feel right again and had a headache, sore eyes, and felt feverish.

When she got home, she had a bath to help relax her and noticed rashes on her body and phoned NHS Direct 111.

Lucy explained her symptoms which at the time were a headache, feeling feverish, congested sinuses, and tired eyes, while her muscles were also aching.

A doctor who saw her rashes diagnosed her with Strep and she was put on Phenoxymethylpenicillin oral solution, which she was given four bottles of.

She is now on her second bottle of the antibiotics and said only today (Wednesday, December 7) is she starting to “feel a bit more human”.

Lucy still has aches all over her body and a fever, but her temperature has reduced significantly with the help of the antibiotics.

Lucy, who is from Gainsborough but lives in Ashby, told The Lincolnite: “I have a panic disorder, so the slightest thing stays on my mind and I didn’t realise the seriousness of how ill you can get from having Strep. I personally feel worse with this than I did with having COVID.

“Strep has never really been spoke about and no awareness until recently, and sadly the lives of young children have been taken.

“Awareness needs to be spread a lot more about theses infections, not just now when children are sadly losing there lives from it.”

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