{"id":268752,"date":"2025-07-17T07:42:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T07:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/268752\/"},"modified":"2025-07-17T07:42:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T07:42:13","slug":"schoolgirl-10-loses-both-legs-and-an-arm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/268752\/","title":{"rendered":"Schoolgirl, 10, loses both legs and an arm"},"content":{"rendered":"

Penelope Vidal-Walsh, 10, told her mum she felt sick and hours later was in intensive care<\/p>\n

04:00, 17 Jul 2025Updated 08:24, 17 Jul 2025<\/p>\n

\"SchoolgirlSchoolgirl Penelope Vidal-Walsh(Image: Angel Walsh)<\/p>\n

“Little fighter” Penelope Vidal-Walsh<\/a> has lost both legs and her right arm after battling a killer disease and severe complications. The 10-year-old schoolgirl was rushed to Alder Hey<\/a> after complaining she felt sick to her parents.<\/p>\n

Penelope, from Southport<\/a>, went to bed like any normal night on April 10, but was sedated and in intensive care<\/a> the next day after waking up with a “bruise many parents wouldn’t suspect as unusual.<\/a>” Penelope had told her parents she felt unwell before going to bed around 9pm. She then woke up at around 2am and vomited<\/a>. Her dad, Ricardo Vidal, put her in the bath and “checked her over” but didn’t spot anything of concern, so she went back to bed.<\/p>\n

The family woke up the next morning and Penelope had breakfast as normal, before being sick again at around 8.30am. Her dad put her in the bath and noticed a small purple mark on her neck<\/a>. After a bath she got dressed and it was then that her mum, Elizabeth, and dad noticed another purple rash on her knee.<\/p>\n

At the time, Penelope’s aunt, Angel Walsh, 35, told the ECHO <\/a>how the quick-thinking parents tried “the glass test,” which the NHS advises as a way to assess a rash, particularly when you suspect meningitis or septicaemia<\/a>. You perform the test by pressing a glass against the rash to see if it disappears under pressure. If the rash remains visible through the glass (a non-blanching rash), it’s a potential sign of a serious infection and immediate medical attention is needed.<\/p>\n

When the rash remained visible they immediately took Penelope straight to Ormskirk<\/a> Hospital and by 9.30am she had been transferred to Alder Hey<\/a>, where she was diagnosed with meningitis<\/a> and was rushed to intensive care.<\/p>\n

The “determined” little girl has spent the past “99 days fighting and now recovering,” says her dad. He said: “During this time she beat the meningococcal disease and also a very rare fungal infection which caused severe complications.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe ‘odd’ bruise Penelope’s parents spotted(Image: Angel Walsh )<\/p>\n

“As part of her treatment Penelope underwent a triple amputation surgery, which resulted in her losing her lower limbs and her right arm. She is currently undergoing skin grafting surgery as part of her rehabilitation and recovery. She has made huge progress and improvement and is even using a wheelchair and building up her core strength as well as the strength in her left arm.”<\/p>\n

Ricardo said: “It\u2019s been a roller coaster of emotions, heartache and anxiety. But as her parents we remain forever grateful that she is still with us and for all the incredible dedication and hard work that the staff here at Alder Hey <\/a>and Ormskirk Children\u2019s A&E have done, they saved our Penelope\u2019s life.”<\/p>\n

Penelope remains in hospital on the critical care unit at Alder Hey, for the time being, as she prepares for a skin graft. However, her dad told the ECHO<\/a> that if the skin grafts go as planned then they expect her to be discharged around October.<\/p>\n

\"PenelopePenelope in recovery following her surgery(Image: Ricardo Vidal)<\/p>\n

The family are currently in the process of raising funds for Penelope\u2019s future<\/a> so she has the “best possible chance of living an independent life.” Ricardo added: “We want to give her the best quality life and opportunities to fulfil any of her dreams and hopes that she had before this occurred.<\/p>\n

“We want her to be able to not let this deter her from being the most energetic, fun, lively girl that she always has been. She remains determined and motivated to keep building her strength. The strength and resilience she shows us every day is just incredible and we are just so proud of her.”<\/p>\n

To donate to Penelope’s future please go here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Penelope and her family want to create awareness of the “scary” illness <\/a>and warn people of the symptoms to look out for.<\/p>\n

Symptoms of meningitis and sepsis include:<\/strong><\/p>\n