Bucks Fizz star Jay Aston has revealed that her daughter Josie is seriously ill in hospital after being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis.
The 18-year-old was rushed to the intensive care unit and placed in an induced coma after her organs began to fail.
Nearly a month later, she was still in a specialized kidney unit and was told she would have permanent scars.
Singer Jay said: “It was absolutely devastating. We were told it was 50/50 if it would work. We still don’t know when he’ll be home.
“I sat by her bed night after night, wishing her success. I couldn’t believe it was her destiny because she was such a wonderful person. She is sociable, kind, well-meaning and full of life. He just felt so cruel.
Josie is still in the hospital and is very ill (
Image:
distribution)
“I prayed a lot. She is my world – we are ridiculously close. I just couldn’t imagine being without her. “
Josie was rushed to hospital last month after 60-year-old Jay noticed a rash on her daughter’s arm, which she immediately recognized as meningitis.
Doctors later said that if it had not been for her quick thinking, her daughter would not have survived.
The ordeal began on March 22, when Josie called her mother and said she was feeling unwell.
Jay drove to the family home in Kent to find that her daughter was shaking.
She recalls: “She was lying in the sun, so I thought it might be heat stroke. A few days earlier, she had complained of joint pain, which I attributed to growth pain.
Jay, husband Dave and daughter Josie (
Image:
Alpha Press) Josie’s hand with a meningitis rash (
Image:
distribution)
But when Josie developed a headache, neck pain and fever that did not go down with paracetamol, Jay called 111 and an ambulance was ordered.
She said: “It was 6.45 pm, but the ambulance did not come. Her temperature reached almost 40. I began to worry a lot. In the middle of the night, she said, “Mom, I’m wrong.” I saw red dots on her arm.
Jay immediately realized that it could be meningitis, as her guitarist husband, 22-year-old Dave Kolkuhun, Josie’s father, had contracted the disease 19 years earlier.
They quickly took her daughter to the nearby Princess Royal University Hospital in Farnborough, Kent.
Within an hour, Josie’s entire body was covered in a rash, and the next day, when her lungs began to fail, she was taken to intensive care, where she was placed in an induced coma, given oxygen, and treated with antibiotics.
Jay still plays with two of his original colleagues, Cheryl Baker, 68, and Mike Nolan, 67, under their new name The Fizz (
Image:
Getty Images)
Jay recalls: “Doctors said all her organs were failing and whether she would survive is 50/50. I couldn’t believe what I heard. She was only 18 and only a few days earlier she was 100% fit and healthy.
“She was about to go on holiday with her best friends and start a new job in sales and marketing, which she was really looking forward to.”
Bacterial meningitis can cause life-threatening blood poisoning.
It usually occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream and travel to the brain and spinal cord. More serious and much rarer than viral meningitis, one in 10 cases is fatal. It usually appears suddenly and gets worse quickly.
This can lead to permanent damage to the brain or nerves, and sometimes amputation of the affected limbs is required.
Josie remained in a coma for five days, and Jay slept next to her bed in a chair.
She said: “I would like her to cope. I held her hand, but one had wrinkles, and the other had a rash of tears and blisters. It was awful. “
Five days later, doctors pulled Josie out of the coma, but there was no improvement. Jay said, “She didn’t come for two days. Those were the two worst days of my life. There was no answer. I knew it could go both ways.
“But I couldn’t afford to think I could lose her.
“Dave and I are quite religious, so we both prayed a lot. There were tears, but I wanted to hold him back for both of us – he was very upset. “
Finally, Josie opened her eyes and started talking one day.
But realizing that her kidneys were damaged, doctors moved her to Kings College Hospital in south London to be treated in her specialized kidney department.
Jay said: “The doctors and nurses were amazing. They are still not happy with the results of her blood tests, so they do blood transfusions and kidney dialysis. Her kidneys are recovering, but not working properly.
Josie also still has a rash on her forehead and knees and has been warned that she will have permanent scars on her legs where the rash has caused blisters and falling skin.
Her legs are swollen and bandaged, where the rash is still crying and the skin on her left arm has fallen off.
Kay gained fame when Bucks Fizz won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981 with Making Your Mind Up (
Image:
Advertising photo)
Jay said: “She had difficulty standing because of the pain in her legs and one toe was completely black. It is quite common to lose limbs when you have such severe meningitis. We thought he might have to be amputated, but luckily he’s coming back.
“Josie was incredibly brave, but her mood was low. She desperately wants to go home. There was a blood transfusion, an ECG, a large neck line and she was on and off dialysis. It won’t be good for months, probably for the rest of the year.
Jay, who gained fame when Bucks Fizz won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with Making Your Mind Up, still plays with two of his original colleagues, Cheryl Baker, 68, and Mike Nolan, 67, under their new name. The Fizz. She hopes to return to the stage with them later this month.
Jay went through her own battles for health after being diagnosed with oral cancer in 2018 and Covid in 2021, but said nothing could compare to the fear of losing her daughter.
The singer underwent seven surgeries – including the removal of part of her tongue – which left her without cancer.
She explained: “I had a terrible time in hospital. The pain was incredible, but it was the worst month of my life. I’m exhausted.
“Josie is my only child and I would swap places with her for a moment.”
The Mirror reported a sharp rise in cases of meningitis B, Josie’s type, earlier this year, especially among students, after lifting pandemic restrictions last year.
Jay said Josie wants her story to be told to warn others of the dangers of infection, which can be spread through sneezing, coughing and kissing.
Although Josie had a vaccine against meningitis as a child, she was not vaccinated for this particular type. Jay said, “There are six or seven versions.”
Jay hopes she can be released from the hospital later this week, but knows she has a long way to go.
She added: “If she hadn’t been in my bed that night, I would have lost her. I hope she recovers completely, but I’m just glad she’s alive.
“She is a great child; she is wonderful and fun and i am very happy and blessed to have her. Whatever happens next, we will deal with it. “
Read more
Victoria Beckham shows gifts, Harper’s card and David’s PDA on her 48th birthday
Read more
Stacey Solomon, David Beckham and Gemma Collins lead stars in epic Easter celebrations
Add Comment