Mum of Kent teen hospitalised with meningitis B 'over the moon' as she returns home after 'traumatic, life and death situation'

"It's been a whirlwind of emotions, but she's back, so we're absolutely over the moon," Kahli told LBC News, after she brought Keeleigh back to her home from hospital on Saturday night.

"She's back with me, and she's in bed at the moment, having a good sleep. So we're really, really pleased".

Keeleigh contracted the disease after visiting Club Chemistry in Canterbury, Kent, on March 12.

Two days later, the 21-year-old restaurant worker said she felt unwell, but thought it was due to a bad case of Covid.

Later that evening, she collapsed in her Canterbury flat and was taken to hospital by her flatmate, where she was told she had meningitis.

Read More: Number of UK meningitis cases falls for first time with 29 confirmed cases following Kent outbreak

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Kahli received a call from her daughter at about 6pm to say that she was allowed to come home and went to collect her.

After hugging her, Keeleigh "gave her a look as if to say, 'really?'" As a treat, they ordered a Pizza Hut and "just had a nice evening, just me and her sister chilling. It was really lovely, really nice to have her back," Kahli said.

According to Kahli, the experience has left Keeleigh "shook to the core" and "very apprehensive" about mixing with other people her own age.

"I don't think she will be going to a club again," said Kahli. "If she were, it would be in a very long time".

"If she does go out then it would be to a quiet pub with her very few close friends".

Kahli stressed that both she and her daughter have had every jab recommended.

"Me and my daughter have had our first dose of the meningitis B vaccine and the antibiotic... when it comes to things like that that have been around for years ...yes, we have had them all".

More than 8,000 meningitis vaccines have now been rolled out in Kent as health officials step up efforts to contain an outbreak.

The number of confirmed cases fell on Sunday for the first time from 34 to 29 following the Kent outbreak.

Kahli believes the outbreak could have been prevented if vaccines had been "rolled out a long, long time ago".

"I don't know why it wasn't. Obviously, it was due to cost effectiveness, which I don't think really is a good enough reason".

She does not agree that this age group in particular have historically been reluctant to use vaccines. "I don't believe that for one single second," she insisted.

"I believe that our children at this age, including my daughter, would actually speak to their parents about vaccinations ... that they missed," even if parents did not realise they had missed them.