‘Chelsea was never really ill so when she started to complain of a sore throat, we just assumed she’d caught a cold,’ said Chelsea’s mother, Nicki. Student dies after contracting tonsilitisChelsea Jackson was described as rarely unwell (Picture: Caters) A student died 26 days after she was diagnosed with tonsilitis. Chelsea Jackson, 20, was described as fit and healthy and rarely unwell before she developed a sore throat on 22 December. Doctors diagnosed her with tonsilitis and gave her antibiotics, but her condition rapidly worsened and she was placed in intensive care. Soon, Chelsea, from Wolverhampton, could neither eat nor swallow, her eyes had turned yellow and she was finding it hard to breathe. Doctors found her positive for the immune condition Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), which causes organ failure and destroys healthy cells and explained why she could not fight off the tonsilitis. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, it was too late to reverse the damage and she died three days later. PIC BY CATERS NEWS - (PICTURED: Chelsea and her mum Nicki.) -A beautiful student has died just 26-days after being diagnosed with tonsillitis - despite being fit and healthy.Chelsea Jackson, 20, from Bilston, Wolverhampton, was rarely unwell before she was struck down with a sore throat on December 22. Doctors diagnosed her with tonsillitis but when her health rapidly deteriorated despite being on antibiotics, she was admitted to hospital and later placed into intensive care. By this point Chelsea couldnt eat, swallow, her eyes had turned yellow and she struggled to breathe. Baffled doctors finally tested her for Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) - a rare but life-threatening immune condition that causes organ failure as it destroy healthy cells instead of those infected - and her results were positive. This explained why she couldnt fight the infection and despite being pumped with chemotherapy in a bid to reverse the damage, it was too late. Chelsea died three-days-later as a direct result of secondary HLH which is believed to have been triggered by her tonsillitis. Her devastated mum, Nicki, 41, and big sister, Lauren, 23, are now sharing her story to raise awareness for the rare disorder. SEE CATERS COPY.Chelsea’s family have started a charity to raise awareness for HLH (Picture: Caters)
‘We had no idea how serious things were about to get, tonsillitis is a common illness and everyone normally recovers but her body wasn’t responding to the medication.
‘Chelsea was the life and soul of the party and loved socialising, it was heart-breaking to see her in so much pain.’
Nicki, 41, father Scott, 41, and Lauren, 23, are now trying to set up a charity in Chelsea’s name to raise awareness of HLH.