Sian Alderton was just 18 years old when sharing a vape on a night out nearly cost her her life. What started as an ordinary evening at a club in Norwich ended two days later with the teenager in a medically induced coma, fighting meningitis, a disease doctors warned her mother she might not survive.

The culprit, doctors believe, was something many young people do without a second thought: sharing a vape.

“I did share a vape with multiple people on that night out,” Sian told South West News Service. “So we believe that’s where I would have gotten it from.”

Two Days from a Club to Intensive Care

Sian had been enjoying one of her first proper nights out in October 2024 when the evening took a devastating turn she could not have foreseen. Within 48 hours of coming home, she was gravely ill.

Her mother, Kerrie Durrant, 37, noticed the warning signs early. “At about 8pm she said, ‘Mum, I don’t feel well.’ She wanted to get into my bed. She never wants to get into my bed when she’s ill, so she was quite clingy,” Kerrie recalled.

What followed through the night was deeply troubling. Sian was waking repeatedly, drinking unusual amounts of water, and by the following day could barely move. “She was drinking like a goldfish. I said, ‘Let’s go to the toilet.’ She got up and she couldn’t move. She was aching,” said Kerrie. “She crawled to the bathroom. That was the moment I said: ‘Hang on a minute, something’s not right.'”

Kerrie rushed her daughter to hospital immediately. Doctors assessed Sian and placed her in a medically induced coma without delay. They warned Kerrie that her daughter might not survive the next 24 hours.

What Is Meningitis and Why Is It So Dangerous?

Meningitis is an infection and swelling of the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. According to the NHS, it can affect anyone at any age, though young people and teenagers are among the highest-risk groups. In the UK, around 3,200 people are diagnosed with bacterial meningitis each year, and one in ten of those cases proves fatal.

Symptoms can include severe headache, high fever, a stiff neck, sensitivity to light, and in some cases a non-blanching rash. Critically, not everyone develops the rash, a fact Sian is keen to stress.

“Sometimes the rash doesn’t even appear on people, so you wouldn’t have thought they’d be in a life or death situation,” she said.

The infection spreads through close contact, including kissing and the exchange of saliva. Vape sharing, which involves placing a shared mouthpiece to the lips repeatedly across a group, creates exactly the kind of conditions in which bacteria can travel between people.

Against the Odds, Sian Recovered

Sian, now 19, did survive. Scans confirmed she has no lasting brain damage, something her family describes as nothing short of miraculous given how quickly her condition deteriorated.

But the experience has left deep marks. She has not returned to a nightclub since the incident and says even brief social outings take real courage. “The most I’ve had the courage to do is go to a pub for maybe an hour or two,” she admitted. “Other than that, I haven’t wanted to go out since.”

Her mother summed it up plainly: “People need to be aware it affects anyone. Anyone can get it. It doesn’t matter whether you’re fit and healthy. If it wants to get you, it will.”

A Wider Warning: The UK Meningitis Outbreak

Sian’s story sits against a backdrop of growing concern in the UK. At the time of writing, public health authorities have been tracking a meningitis cluster linked to a nightclub, with at least 20 people infected and two young people dead.

The outbreak has drawn renewed attention to how infections spread in crowded social environments and how everyday habits like vape sharing can act as a transmission route that most young people have never considered.

Experts have long warned about the risks of sharing items that come into contact with saliva. A 2020 study published in the journal Tobacco Control found that vapes are shared frequently among young adults in social settings, with many users unaware of the health implications beyond nicotine dependency.

Act Fast: The Symptoms That Could Save a Life

Both Sian and her mother are now vocal advocates for acting quickly at the first sign of illness.

“If someone you know has a ‘sickness bug’, but they are also quite delirious or more aggressive than usual, it’s better to be safe than sorry,” Sian said. “Get it checked as soon as possible.”

The key symptoms to watch for include sudden high fever, a severe and persistent headache, a stiff neck or sensitivity to light, confusion or altered behaviour, and a rash that does not fade when a glass is pressed against it. As Sian notes, this rash does not always appear, so do not wait for it before seeking help.

If you or someone you know displays these signs, call 999 or go directly to A&E. Meningitis can progress from first symptoms to life-threatening illness within hours. Early treatment with antibiotics is critical and can be the difference between full recovery and permanent disability or worse.

Sian’s experience is a sobering reminder of just how quickly things can change. As her mother put it: it does not matter how young, fit, or healthy you are. Meningitis does not discriminate, and sharing a vape could be all it takes.

If you are concerned about symptoms of meningitis, visit the Meningitis Now or Meningitis Research Foundation websites for guidance, or call 999 in an emergency.

Source: people