‘My son complained about sore muscles after school – hours later he was dead’

The mother of a 16-year-old boy who died just hours after he started complaining about feeling sore with muscle pains is sharing her story so that other parents are aware of the signs to look out for

One day Levi Syer was a normal 16-year-old hanging out with his friends after school – the next he was fighting for his life.

On September 23, Levi came home from school complaining about sore muscles – then just a few hours later he was rushed to hospital where he subsequently died.

The teenager developed gastro-like symptoms, nausea and a lack of appetite, which prompted his mum to book a doctor’s appointment for the following day.

But at 1.30am in the morning, Norliah was woken up by a loud bang coming from the bathroom – Levi was feeling much worse and had started being sick.

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When he became delirious and stopped making sense, his mum rang emergency services in a panic. “I’ve never seen him that sick in my life,” she said. “Then he asked me ‘Am I going to die?’ And of course, we’re all like ‘no’.”

But tragically Norliah’s worst nightmare became a reality and Levi was rushed to a children’s hospital in Australia. Nearly 60 doctors and specialists treated him for more than six hours in the intensive care unit before he died.

Ms Syer-Peterson said purple ‘blotches’ appeared on her son’s face and body before he was intubated to drain fluid from his lungs. Levi’s distraught family were then told his heart was shutting down, with doctors performing CPR on the teenager for almost 90 minutes.

He died from sepsis caused by the deadly bacterial infection meningococcal Type B, less than 24 hours after he first began experiencing symptoms.

“The paramedics did absolutely everything they could to save him,” Norliah told The Mirror. “There was nothing more they could do as the doctor said it (meningitis) goes through the body like a tsunami.”

Meningitis deaths have increased in the UK recently, driven by a rise in MenB cases. There was a significant increase in 2022/23 with 33 deaths, and a recent rise in MenB cases among children aged one to four is also a concern.

While Levi had received immunisation for Meningococcal ACWY at school in Australia, the vaccine didn’t cover the deadliest strain, meningococcal B. In the UK, children and young people are vaccinated against meningococcal B but not everyone takes up the free vaccine.

Now his mother is urging parents to make sure they are educated about the risks before the vaccine is offered to young people which is usually in year 9 and 10.

According to the NHS meningitis symptoms include:

• a high temperature
• cold hands and feet
• vomiting
• confusion
• breathing quickly
• muscle and joint pain
• pale, mottled or blotchy skin (this may be harder to see on brown or black skin)
• spots or a rash (this may be harder to see on brown or black skin)
• headache
• a stiff neck
• a dislike of bright lights
• being very sleepy or difficult to wake
• fits (seizures)

Babies may also:

• refuse feeds
• be irritable
• have a high-pitched cry
• have a stiff body or be floppy or unresponsive
• have a bulging soft spot on the top of their head.