Football and snooker sports broadcaster Seema Jaswal has spoken publicly about her battle with meningitis she faced as a teenager.
The 41-year-old Londoner, now an established figure in sports broadcasting, contracted the life-threatening illness when she was just 16 years old.
Her health ordeal proved particularly dangerous after doctors initially failed to identify the serious condition, mistaking it for influenza.
The misdiagnosis had severe consequences, as Jaswal’s condition deteriorated until she slipped into a coma while receiving vital medical treatment.
Fortunately, the BBC presenter, who presents the corporation’s snooker coverage and has fronted major football events including World Cup and Champions League matches, made a complete recovery from the potentially fatal illness.
The experience has shaped her commitment to raising awareness about the disease, leading her to become an ambassador for Meningitis Now.
The charity work holds deep personal significance for Jaswal, who has expressed feeling fortunate to have been given a “second chance” at life following her teenage health battle.
The presenter said: “I spent a couple of weeks in hospital and lost a lot of weight. I felt completely drained but being 16 I just wanted to get back to normal life.”
Seema Jaswal has spoken publicly about her battle with meningitis she faced as a teenager
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She added: “I was so lucky that I was able to do that.”
“If you have Meningitis B, many people come out of it with something that could be long-lasting: a disability, you lose a limb, lose your sight or hearing.
“That happens to a lot of people.”
Jaswal’s mother became convinced that the condition was more serious than the doctors’ initial misdiagnosis.
Seema Jaswal contracted the life-threatening illness when she was just 16 years old
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Speaking on her mother, Jaswal told the Mail: “She called the ambulance. The paramedics came and took me to hospital.
“I don’t remember any of this part. I was in a coma for between 24 and 48 hours. My parents were told all of the worst things that might be the outcome.
“I cannot thank my mother enough for acting so quickly. The doctor himself said I had the flu.
The signs can be very similar at the beginning to a flu. When you’re on the go non-stop, you just put it down to that.”
Her health ordeal proved particularly dangerous after doctors initially failed to identify the serious condition, mistaking it for influenza
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GETTY
Jaswal also urged people to get checked if they don’t feel right.
She added: “The signs and symptoms to learn are fever, a stiff neck, vomiting, muscle and joint pain, severe headaches.
“A lot of people think it’s the rash, but the rash happens last when you get to the stage where it gets into the blood. That’s really bad.
“There are lots of resources on the Meningitis Now website and Instagram to understand what it could be.”
