Abbey Clancy details her ‘trauma’ after daughter Sophia caught meningitis in Portugal

Abbey Clancy has described her “trauma” after her daughter Sophia was rushed to hospital with viral meningitis during a recent family holiday to Portugal.

The model, 37, said she and husband Peter Crouch flew to Portugal over Easter with their four children: Sophia, 12, Liberty, seven, Johnny, five and Jack, three.

She explained how her eldest daughter Sophia contracted viral meningitis during their vacation and admitted that she had never been so scared in her life.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the layers of tissue that cover the brain and spinal cord, which can be very serious and potentially life-changing if not treated quickly.

Speaking on her and Peter’s collaborative podcast The Therapy Crouch on Tuesday’s episode, Abbey recalled, “The school holidays were tough.

“We arrived in Portugal and Sophia was hospitalized with meningitis, which was just the scariest thing on earth — being in a foreign hospital, language barriers, the words like meningitis thrown around, wood pricks, brain scans.

“It was horrible – I felt so vulnerable – and scary. But I have to say the medical care there was just out of this world.

“These things always happen on a Sunday at 1am to add to the fear and the scary of the situation. It can never be a normal hour.’

Abbey said she “knew” there was something wrong with Sophia and that she was not suffering from a normal virus before she was diagnosed with meningitis.

The mother-of-four shared how her and Peter’s fears increased when their youngest son Jack also developed a terrible cough and breathing problems, leading them to take him to hospital as well.

Abbey explained: ‘With three babies in the house I thought ‘what if they catch it? So we were on edge. We didn’t sleep at all. I watched each child like a hawk. It was just terrifying.

“The other three all got sick. They all got the flu and a cough. Sophia was out of the hospital and we were back in the hospital with them because I thought, “I have three other kids, could they get this viral meningitis?” It was traumatic.’

Abbey said she and Peter only got about four hours of sleep in 30 hours because of their fears for their children, which involved taking both Sophia and Jack to hospital.

Holiday: The model, 37, said she and husband Peter Crouch flew to Portugal for Easter with their four children – Sophia, 12, Liberty, seven, Johnny, five and Jack, three

Abbey said, “I’ve never been so scared in my life. And Jack also went to the hospital in Portugal because he was coughing.’

Peter, 42, added: ‘It was just because we were so concerned about Sophia, when he started coughing we felt like we had to take him.’

Abbey, who previously revealed she has a hospital phobia after Sophia spent three weeks in Great Ormond Street as a baby, continued: ‘Viral meningitis doesn’t present as a cough, but he literally wouldn’t stop coughing. He couldn’t breathe in between.’

Peter admitted that the tension of the situation drove him to his limits and led him to snap at Abbey for not wanting to take Jack in, even though he knew he had to get him checked.

He told Abbey on the podcast, “I had a little bite at you. I was just in bed. I thought I’d sleep with him to make sure he was okay. And he just wouldn’t stop coughing, and you were like “good, you have to take him to the hospital”.

“And I knew I had to, but I was like, ‘You just want me to live in hospitals.'”

Peter said he was on night shift at the hospital before they swapped for the day.

He continued, “Of course [Sophia] had to stay indoors so we just worked shifts. I was like doing the night shift and then Ab did the day shift.

“And we were completely on separate holidays. Honestly, it wasn’t a vacation, it was just taking care of her.

‘And it was scary, but then of course you also have to take care of the little ones. So of course that was a traumatic experience.’

To add to the scary holiday, Abbey said their fear of illness continued on their flight home when their daughter Liberty contracted a vomiting beetle.

Abbey said, “We came home from Portugal all exhausted. Then go to bed, everyone is asleep and then Liberty comes in and says “Mom, Dad, I feel like I have the emetic bug”.

Tough times: Abbey and Peter explained how their eldest daughter Sophia contracted viral meningitis while on holiday and Abbey admitted she had never been so scared in her life

Fears: Peter (pictured with his four children) described the ordeal during their family holiday as ‘traumatic’

And Pete went “f**k this, I can’t stand this”. And he just got up and walked out of the room and went into another bedroom.

“So that was another night of no sleep for me because I panicked.”

Peter added, “I was like ‘I’m out now, I’m just not doing this anymore.’ I went to another bed and closed the door and turned off the light. I washed my hands off it.

‘I could not hold on any longer. Sometimes you have to tap.”

WHAT IS MENINGITIS?

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.

Anyone can be affected, but groups at risk are under five years old, 15 to 24 years old, and over 45 years old.

People exposed to secondhand smoke or with suppressed immune systems, such as those undergoing chemotherapy, are also more at risk.

The most common types of meningitis are bacterial and viral.

Symptoms for both include:

• Pale, blotchy skin with a rash that does not fade when squeezed with a glass
• Stiff neck
• Aversion to bright lights
• Fever and cold hands and feet
• vomit
• Drowsiness
• Severe headache

Headache is one of the main symptoms

Bacterial meningitis

Bacterial meningitis requires urgent hospital treatment with antibiotics.

About 10 percent of bacterial cases are fatal.

Of those who survive, one in three will develop complications, including brain damage and hearing loss.

Limb amputation is a possible side effect if septicemia (blood poisoning) occurs.

Vaccines are available against certain strains of bacteria that cause meningitis, such as tuberculosis.

Viral meningitis

Viral is rarely life-threatening, but can cause long-lasting effects such as headaches, fatigue, and memory problems.

Thousands of people suffer from viral meningitis in the UK every year.

Treatment focuses on hydration, pain medications, and rest.

Although ineffective, antibiotics can be given when patients arrive at the hospital in case they are suffering from the bacterial form of the disease.

Source: Meningitis Now