A 14-year-old boy suffering from severe headaches and fever was sent away twice by doctors. Eventually it was discovered that he had meningitis and an abscess in his brain.
Hunter Peterson, from Wauchope in south-west Port Macquarie, spent the eve of his 14th birthday on the operating table as doctors desperately tried to reduce swelling on his brain after another life-saving procedure failed.
On the morning of his birthday, he woke up in intensive care with half of his skull visible.
Family friend Sonia O’Bree-Smith told Daily Mail Australia that before he and his family were caught up in this nightmare, Hunter was just a “normal teenage boy”.
“He is a happy, healthy, funny boy,” she said.
“He has a great sense of humor. He loves basketball, he’s very kind, cheerful and outgoing.”
Hunter, who has a younger brother and sister, was enjoying the school holidays until he developed a fever and migraine on July 17.
Hunter Peterson (pictured right) was a “healthy and happy” 14-year-old when he developed migraines and fever. Within a week, surgeons would have to remove nearly half of his brain
The teenager faces a long road to recovery and must wear a helmet to protect the ‘soft’ part of his head where his skull was removed.
His grandmother took him to Kempsey Hospital where he was diagnosed with a viral infection and sent home without antibiotics.
Hunter’s condition worsened and his father took him back to the hospital later that evening, but doctors sent him home with the same diagnosis.
“He had a sinus infection, which is like a cold. When he went to hospital, the sinus infection had not gone away,” said Mrs O’Bree-Smith.
Three days later, on Saturday, July 20, his mother noticed that his condition had deteriorated.
“He just wasn’t himself, he wouldn’t eat and he wasn’t very talkative,” said a close family friend, Mrs O’Bree-Smith.
Hunter, who has a younger brother and sister, was enjoying the school holidays before suffering from a fever and migraine on July 17
He was eventually diagnosed with meningitis as a result of sinusitis and was flown to the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, where he underwent surgery to drain the abscess in his sinus cavity.
‘He became confused, as his mother described it, and he continued to complain of headaches and migraines and he had a persistent fever.
‘And when she went to check on him, she saw his lips were starting to turn blue and she just said, “Let’s get in the car, we’re going to the hospital now.”‘
“They had just pulled over to the hospital when Hunter had a seizure and threw up.”
Doctors were shocked to discover he had a fever of 42 degrees and an ambulance was called to rush him to Port Macquarie Base Hospital.
There he underwent a CT scan, blood tests and a lumbar puncture. Doctors discovered he had an abscess in his brain and sinuses.
He was diagnosed with meningitis as a result of sinusitis and was flown to the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, where he underwent surgery to drain the abscess in his sinus cavity.
Doctors then hoped that the abscess in his brain would respond to antibiotics.
He was having problems with his IVs, so the doctors decided to insert a peripheral central catheter to bypass any blockages.
But the procedure was delayed several times, leaving him without food for 36 hours.
“Of course this was a huge emotional blow to our little friend, who was already in a very vulnerable state,” said Mrs O’Bree-Smith.
Hunter spent the eve of his 14th birthday on an operating table as doctors desperately tried to reduce swelling in his brain after another life-saving procedure went wrong
He woke up on his 14th birthday to the news that a large part of his skull had been removed. As he talks, he has nerve damage in his right eye and will have to learn to walk again
After the operation he was unresponsive, his left side did not move and a scan showed he had inflammation in his brain.
Then the doctors decided to remove a large part of his skull.
“Hunter woke up on his 14th birthday with a large portion of his skull removed, a drain in his skull and his right eye unable to open due to nerve damage,” Mrs O’Bree-Smith explained.
“The extent of the nerve damage is unknown at this time. Only time will tell if he will be able to use his eyelid again.”
The teenager has a long road to recovery and is receiving help from a team of specialists, including a speech therapist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist and psychologist.
Hunter was described as a “normal teenage boy.” “He’s a happy, healthy, funny boy,” said close family friend Sonya O’Bree-Smith. “He’s got a great sense of humor. He loves basketball, he’s very kind, happy, outgoing.”
He has to wear a helmet to protect the ‘soft’ part of his head where his skull was removed.
“He actually talks really well, but he walks very unsteadily, so he’s having rehabilitation therapies for that,” said Ms O’Bree-Smith.
His family hopes he can be transferred to Port Macquarie Base Hospital soon, so he can be closer to home.
If all goes according to plan, Hunter will have a plate placed in his head in six weeks to replace the missing portion of his skull.
Mrs. O’Bree-Smith has a GoFundMe Page with which he has so far raised nearly $10,000 for his long-term rehabilitation.
