University honour for lawyer who lost hands and feet to meningitis

SHE inspired a nation with her tireless work to raise awareness of the condition which left her a quadriplegic.

Olivia Giles was a high-achieving lawyer when surgeons were forced to amputate her hands and feet to save her life after she was struck down by meningitis.

Yesterday, five years on, she received an honorary doctorate in recognition of her achievements in the face of adversity.

Ms Giles was awarded the honour by the University of Paisley at a special ceremony in the Coats Memorial Baptist Church, Paisley.

Her parents, June and Alistair, watched proudly as she walked up to receive the honour from Dr Tony Clarke, vice-principal of the university.

Speaking after the ceremony, Ms Giles said she was delighted to be given the degree, describing it as "a great honour".

She said: "I was brought up in Paisley until I was seven, so it's lovely to be getting an award from the university of my home town."

Her acceptance of the honour is the latest landmark in the long road Ms Giles has been forced to travel since the day she was struck down by the deadly virus in February 2002.

She had been at her office as normal when she developed a splitting headache that forced her to go home.

The next day her condition worsened, as she developed flu-like symptoms, swollen glands and itchy hands and feet, persuading her to seek treatment .

A doctor failed to spot the classic symptoms of meningitis and instead diagnosed a virus and prescribed bed rest and painkillers.

Ms Giles was told if she was unhappy with this diagnosis she would have to go to accident and emergency for treatment.

With her condition worsening, she phoned back 90 minutes later and demanded an ambulance. She was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where she lost consciousness and family members were told to expect the worst.

Despite such a grim prognosis, she survived the illness's worst onslaught, but surgeons had to amputate her hands and feet to save her life.

Ms Giles was later fitted with prosthetic limbs and learned to walk again.

She married her partner, Robin Garrett, in 2005. He was not able to attend the ceremony yesterday.

As a result of her experience, Ms Giles, 42, has been involved in fundraising in Scotland and the UK for meningitis charities, resolving to highlight the importance of catching the potentially deadly disease early.

Ms Giles said that despite moves forward in treatment, she would continue raising awareness about the disease.

She said: "It's very important to fight the complacency about meningitis.

"As the C vaccine has become better known, people have started to think that it's not a risk any more, but it was a different strain of the disease that affected me and it's the B strain which is still killing and maiming people, so it's very important for people to be aware of the signs and symptoms," she explained.

Ms Giles recently set up the charity 500 Miles with Jamie McAndrew, who is also a quadruple amputee, to help rehabilitate amputees in deprived areas of the world. As well as charity work, she has contributed to Scottish Government policy development in relation to rehabilitation. She is also a trained mediator, helping the NHS deal with complaints and failure in patient care at an early stage.

Presenting the degree, Dr Clarke said: "Olivia Giles is a person of great courage and commitment and an inspiration to others.

"She has made a significant mark on Scottish public life through her contribution to health awareness, to fundraising for health research and services in Scotland and abroad, and to development in community-based care and rehabilitation services," he said.

DISEASE THAT STRIKES THOUSANDS EVERY YEAR

LAST year 143 people were struck by meningitis in Scotland, and more than 3,000 across the UK in total.

Fewer than one in 10 died from the condition, but many more suffered serious physical and psychological effects including brain damage, deafness and scarring.

The condition is essentially an inflammation of the meninges - the linings that surround and protect the brain. The symptoms of meningitis are similar to other more common illnesses, such as the flu, can appear in any order, and some not at all.

The early ones include fever, headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, with cold hands and feet. A rash that does not fade under pressure is also a sign of meningitis, as is an aversion to bright lights and a stiff neck.

The condition can be caused by many different organisms including bacteria, viruses and fungi.

Bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency and requires immediate treatment with antibiotics and hospital admission.

The viral form, while rarely fatal, can make people very unwell. Antibiotics are not used in such cases, rather bed rest and painkillers to ease symptoms.