A young girl who thought that she had freshers' flu when in fact she had meningitis, has lost both her legs and her fingers to the deadly disease.
Charlotte Hannibal and her mother
Charlotte Hannibal, a student who thought her sore throat and flu-like symptoms were freshers' flu has lost both legs and all the fingers on one hand to deadly meningitis.
Mirror Online reports that the 19-year-oldgirl from Selston, Nottinghamshire, was a healthy teenager thought she had simply contracted a bug following a house party. But the former business studies student was stunned when she was diagnosed with septicaemia and meningitis - meningococcal group W - which usually targets young adults.
Charlotte has lost both her legs and her fingers
The brave teen was hospitalised for two months before doctors decided to amputate both legs below the knee, as well as all the fingers on Charlotte's left hand in a bid to save her life.
A year later, despite her life changing dramatically, Charlotte is making progress every day - and she's now campaigning to warn other students to have the vaccination which she believes could've prevented the bacterial infection.
Charlotte, who is still recovering from her ordeal, said: "I've always been a normal healthy person, I can't believe how much my life has changed in a year.
"I was going out at least once a week after starting university and I was having the time of my life, I never thought something like this could happen to me.
"The Saturday before I fell poorly I'd been at a house party with my flat mates, on the Monday I left my lectures early as I felt so unwell, then I phoned my dad to pick me up Tuesday morning.
Charlotte in hospital
"Throughout the night I woke up vomiting and my condition was deteriorating quickly by Wednesday I was in an induced coma for 17 days while doctors battled to save my life.
"I had severe memory loss when I woke up all I can remember is having a sore throat and flu like symptoms so I just presumed I had freshers' flu as it had been going around.
"My parents and doctors explained I'd contracted meningitis and septicaemia which had turned my lower legs, fingers and the end of my nose black.
"It was such a scary experience, my body was containing the septicaemia but it couldn't get rid of it completely so after two months doctors had no choice but to operate.
"I've had to make huge changes to my life, but I wasn't upset when doctors told me they had to amputate, I just wanted to get better and would've done anything at that point to beat the virus.
"I feel incredibly lucky though, I'm still alive and although I've lost both my lower legs and fingers, some people have lost a lot more."