Maddy Jones had the world at her feet.
Intelligent, beautiful and wickedly funny, she adored her family and friends more than anything, and was preparing to celebrate her 19th birthday when the unthinkable happened.
This talented and vibrant teengaer went to a GP with a sore throat and a runny nose… two weeks later she was dead.
“We’re still coming to terms with how, just two weeks shy of her party she ended up in a coma and died. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare – the pain is unimaginable,” her grieving mum Danielle Nielsen tells Woman’s Day, speaking exclusively from her home in Brisbane’s North.
Danielle (left) says her beloved Maddy, who was in her second year of a Law and Business degree course, dreamed of being a high flying lawyer one day. Source: Supplied
It was a Thursday afternoon in October last year when Maddy and long-time boyfriend Callum Royle were spending a few days away on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast soaking up the sun and frolicking in the sea.
“She started to show standard flu symptoms – a bit of a sore throat and runny nose. She went to a local GP and was prescribed over the counter flu medication,” Danielle, 44, explains.
“In a matter of days the influenza turned deadly when she developed sepsis, which is organ failure caused by her body’s response to a joint attack of the flu and a bacterial infection. She had no chance.
“Damian (Maddy’s dad) and I had to be strong for our 16-year-old twin boys Lachlan and Nathan who adored their big sister. We took turns rubbing her back and holding her hand and playing her favourite singer Harry Styles. We never stopped telling her how much we love her.
Maddy and boyfriend Callum. Source: Supplied
“We were told by doctors if Maddy had survived she would become a multiple amputee, losing her hands and feet and the strong likelihood there’d be brain damage,” she says, recalling those final days in ICU at Brisbane’s Prince Charles Hospital.
“There were times when we prayed so hard to save our beautiful baby, no matter what state she was in, and moments when we prayed for her not to have a life of sufferance. It’s an emotional tug I’ve never experienced before – and never want to again.
“Seeing her so helpless, that wasn’t our girl. She worked part-time while studying a double degree – she was a real saver and always bought lovely quality things she took great care in looking after.
“She loved tennis and after leaving school she coached the young kids at our local courts whenever she could. She fought hard in every game to make sure she won – she was so determined and competitive.
“We were there with her as her heart stopped: October 12, 2017, a day our lives changed forever. We who are left behind – her parents, siblings, boyfriend, wider family, colleagues and friends – were left wondering how did this happen to such a fit and healthy young woman?”
Maddy with her dad, Damian. Source: Supplied
Danielle says her beloved daughter, who was in her second year of a Law and Business degree course, dreamed of being a high flying lawyer one day, and only ever wanted to help people.
“Maddy was a rescuer, and longed to save every single neglected dog on this planet. She was so strong willed and she never, ever gave up. She fought to the end, but it wasn’t enough.”
Danielle made the decision when she buried her little girl that her death would not be in vain, pointing out that 250,000 Australians contracted the flu last year and 1127 lost their lives.
“They’re frightening numbers and more than just statistics, they’re real people just like us, just like Maddy,” she says.
“We’re slowly learning how to live and cope with this unbearable grief and learning more and more about this killer called Sepsis. Maddy would expect her father and me to be her voice.
“We need to raise awareness about sepsis and influenza, but most importantly to drive the message to everyone – get your flu shot!”
Danielle says everyone needs to be reminded that influenza and conditions like the deadly Sepsis are contagious.
“We need to be mindful in the workplace if you’re sick, don’t come into work and infect others,” she says. “Be aware of washing hands and making sure if you are sick, you’re not coughing and breathing on others.”
Danielle, a long-time vet nurse, has vowed to continue to speak out in support of vaccination to save other parents the pain and heartache she and Damian have suffered.
“How could we not know about a condition that is responsible for more deaths in Australia than breast cancer, AIDS and the road toll combined? Sepsis is a preventable condition and if recognised early enough, can be treated successfully. Maddy was not in a high-risk group. Fit and healthy 18-year-olds get the flu, rest and recover,” she explains.
“We’re now left with the question ‘What if we had known about sepsis?’. Would Maddy still be here? The reality is, she’s not and we have to live with that every day. We love you Mads and we will never forget those big blue eyes, always kind, and always smiling.”
Maddy’s family have set up a tribute website which also aims to educate people about sepsis.
The site also includes beautiful but heartbreaking tributes from family and friends including a song written and performed by Maddy’s sister Sàchi Rae, and a poem from her friend Rebecca Lincoln.
Danielle took Maddy’s twin brothers to have their flu shots yesterday last week, still wondering how different their lives would have been if Maddy had one last year.
“Maddy sadly never had her flu shot. Last week my twin boys and I had ours and will will continue to campaign for others to follow suit – it will be the single most important prevention you can afford yourself.”
