Teen Shares a Vape with Her Friends During a Night Out, Ends Up in a Coma with Meningitis: ‘Life or Death Situation’

NEED TO KNOW

• Sian Alderton, 18, was hospitalized with meningitis after sharing a vape during a night out in October 2024

• Doctors placed her in a medically induced coma and warned she might not survive the next 24 hours

• Alderton has recovered but remains cautious about social outings and warns others to seek immediate care for symptoms

A teenager is warning others after she was hospitalized with meningitis that she likely contracted after sharing a vape.

In October 2024, Sian Alderton of Norwich, England, was enjoying one of her first nights out at a club with friends. But two days later, the 18-year-old started experiencing unusual and severe symptoms, according to Southwest News Service. Her mother, Kerrie Durrant, said there were a number of warning signs that something was wrong.

“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,” she recalled. “Through the night, I could hear her waking up.”

Durrant, 37, said she kept an eye on her daughter throughout the day and noticed she wasn’t moving much.

“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,” she told the outlet. “She crawled to the bathroom. That was the moment I said: ‘Hang on a minute, something’s not right.’ ”

Durrant rushed Alderton to the hospital and after being assessed by doctors, the teen was immediately placed in a medically induced coma. Durrant was told that her daughter likely wouldn’t survive the next 24 hours due to contracting meningitis.

Meningitis is “an infection and swelling… of the fluid and membranes around the brain and spinal cord,” according to the Mayo Clinic. It causes a headache, fever and notably, a stiff neck. “Sometimes meningitis improves in a few weeks without treatment. But meningitis also can cause death. It often needs quick treatment with antibiotics.”

Doctors believe Alderton contracted the infection during her night out, either from kissing or sharing a vape.

“I did share a vape with multiple people on that night out, so we believe that’s where I would have gotten it from,” she admitted.

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Fortunately, Alderton, now 19, recovered from her illness. Scans show that she also has no lasting brain damage.

But she said the health scare has left her nervous about going out.

“I haven’t gone on any nights out since then — the most I’ve had the courage to do is go to a pub for maybe an hour or two, but other than that I haven’t wanted to go out since,” she said.

“It hasn’t put me off vapes, though I wouldn’t share with anybody any more,” she added.

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Alderton commented on the ongoing meningitis outbreak in the U.K., which has killed two young people, sickened at least 20 people and has been linked to a nightclub. She urged people to get treated as soon as possible.

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

Durrant added, “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.”

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