School mourns meningitis student

A 15-year-old Bexhill girl had her life support machine switched off on Tuesday after contracting meningitis.

Francesca Ward, of Bexhill High School, was taken to the Conquest Hospital at Hastings on Friday - two days before her 16th birthday - with suspected meningococcal septicaemia.

Hours later she was in a coma.

By Monday the situation was so serious her parents asked close friends to say goodbye at her bedside.

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Special assemblies were called on Monday morning to inform pupils of the situation, and leaflets and letters from the health authority were sent to all parents.

Brain stem tests, taken on Tuesday, confirmed the infection of fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord had left her brain-dead.

Confirmation of her death was given on Tuesday afternoon, when her parents took the sad step of turning off her ventilator.

Francesca had returned from Australia with her mum, dad and younger brother six months ago, after emigrating four years before.

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The main reason for their return had been so she could rejoin the school and friends she had missed.

Head teacher Mike Conn said: "She came back about six months ago and fitted in as though she had never been away. She had a very close friendship group here. She was highly popular.

"Francesca was a very bright girl and was due to get outstanding results in her GCSEs and was involved in everything - a very valuable member of our community."

Grieving friends were given the support of the counselling service at the school, enhanced with extra counsellors from the County Psychology Service.

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Many found it hard to grasp how quickly the illness had taken Francesca's life. A week ago she had an early 16th birthday party.

Mr Conn said she had been fine at school, until taking a day off on Friday.

"By Friday night she was taken into the Conquest Hospital, where I understand her condition deteriorated rapidly.

"On Monday I was advised she was in a coma. Her friends were invited, by her parents, to say goodbye at her bedside.

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"She continued to deteriorate and her ventilator was switched off on Tuesday afternoon.

"We spent Tuesday thinking about the situation, and we held a Christian service at lunchtime."

A further voluntary service was held on Wednesday.

Pupils from her form, B2, placed flowers in her seat and a permanent memorial will be arranged with the family, as well as a memorial service.

It is still not known which strain of meningitis Francesca had, but pupils and parents were reassured more cases are highly unlikely.

All 1,550 High School pupils were vaccinated against strain C of the infection, as a widespread vaccination programme begun in November 1999.