- A three-year-old boy from South Australia was diagnosed with meningococcal B
- Little Xavier Yates was initially diagnosed with the flu after he cried of headaches
- Three weeks later the young boy was diagnosed with the deadly virus
- Mother Kateesha Yates said she felt helpless watching her son cry through pain
- The boy has since recovered after he was treated with antibiotics for a week
A three-year-old boy whose excruciating headaches were dismissed has fought against the meningococcal virus after being struck down by the disease.
Little Xavier Yates, from South Australia, was initially diagnosed with the flu after he started experiencing severe headaches – one of the standard symptoms of the virus.
But three weeks later, his family desperately pleaded for more tests after the young boy was far from getting better.
Xavier was airlifted to an Adelaide hospital where he was diagnosed with Meningococcal B.
Little Xavier Yates, from South Australia, started experiencing excruciating headaches before he was diagnosed with the deadly meningococcal virus
His mother Kateesha Yates said she felt helpless watching her son cry through the pain
His mother Kateesha Yates said she felt helpless watching her son cry through the agonising ordeal.
‘Seeing him crying in pain and knowing I couldn’t do anything was horrible,’ she said.
Xavier did not develop any rashes despite contracting the life-threatening infection.
‘They said 48 hours later it could have been fatal,’ his grandmother Colleen O’Loughlin said.
The young boy has since recovered after he was treated with antibiotics for a week
‘It broke my heart. I’m glad I didn’t stop [pushing for tests], that someone listened to me and I got to the bottom of it.’
By telling their story, the family wanted to speak out about the flu-like symptoms to warn other parents about the dangers of the disease.
The young boy has since recovered after he was treated with antibiotics for a week.
‘I’m just glad he’s safe and okay now, still here, running around,’ his mother said.