Emmanuel College Teen Fighting For Her Life After Meningitis Diagnosis

BOSTON, MA — A 19-year-old Emmanuel College freshman has spent months fighting for her life after contracting a rare form of bacterial meningitis, her friends wrote in a GoFundMe campaign Tuesday.

"Kind and loving" Adele Younes suffered sepsis — or blood poisoning — on March 16 as a result of the meningitis infection, friends said.

She is being treated at a Boston hospital, where she spent weeks on life support before she regained consciousness and is "now dealing with the severity of her illness," according to her loved ones.

Her surgeries so far have included the amputations of her fingers and left foot, which will now require her to be fitted with prosthetics. And there are many more "complex surgeries" to come, the campaign said.

As of Thursday morning, the fundraiser has raised $75,400 of its $250,000 goal, which will "go directly to the cost and re-adjustments of the prosthetics, rehabilitation, and any other medical expenses associated with Adele's journey to independence," according to her friends.

"Your support will make a significant impact on her recovery and not only help her physically but also emotionally as she navigates through this challenging period in her life," friends wrote. "As she is fighting through this illness, she remains determined."

Meningitis is inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord, also called the meninges, according to the Meningitis Research Foundation. It can be caused by bacteria or a virus.

Septicaemia, or sepsis, is blood poisoning caused by the same germs as meningitis and is life-threatening, the foundation said.

Some of the symptoms of meningitis include severe headache, fever, vomiting, rash, stiff neck, extreme sleepiness, and confusion, according to the foundation. Symptoms that occur with sepsis can also include fever, rash, sleepiness, and confusion, but sepsis can also cause pale skin, fast breathing, cold hands and feet, shivering, and limb, joint, or stomach pain.

Anyone with symptoms of meningitis or sepsis is urged to contact a doctor immediately, as they can quickly become fatal.