BUCKS Fizz legend Jay Aston broke down in tears talking about how she came so close to losing her teenage daughter.
Jay’s daughter Josie was rushed to hospital last month and almost died from bacterial meningitis.
Despite her daughter remaining in hospital after her organs failing and being put into an induced coma, Jay insisted on raising awareness about the potentially deadly illness.
She told the Loose Women: “We almost lost her.”
The star opened up about how Josie wanted her mum to go public with their experience because she “wants is to make people aware of what happened to her.”
Jay described how her daughter was health and on “fitness kick and was glowing” in the days leading up to her terrifying experience.
“She called me to say she wasn’t feeling well… and she’d been lying in the sun and I thought had a bit of heat stroke,” Jay said.
Josie then complained of a fever, aching neck and sever joint pain.
Read More Bucks Fizz
When Jay’s attempts to bring her temprature didn’t work she called 111 who said they were sending an ambulance.
More than eight hours later, when no ambulance had arrived Jay decided to drive Josie to A&E herself.
It was at this point on the ITV panel show that Jay became overwhelmed and burst into tears.
“I had her in my bed with me and she woke up at about 3am and told me, ‘I’m not right’,” Jay started.
“If she was in her own room I might not have a daughter.”
Jay was able to save her daughter’s life because she recognised the signs of meningitis as her husband almost died from it 19 years, so when she spotted marks coming up on her body she took Josie to hospital.
“She [Josie] was my silver lining after almost losing my husband,” she said.
Josie might come home tomorrow and despite the rawness of what happened, Jay said it was important to tell the story.
“Thanks for letting me tell people about it, we wouldn’t want it to happen to anyone else,” she said.
Fans watching at home praised Jay for raising awareness.
“Just watching this on #LooseWomen. So brave of Jay Aston to speak of her daughter’s struggle with meningitis. Be aware,” wrote one fan on Twitter.
Another added:
And a third wrote: “Jay is so so strong, I’m blubbering yet I’m only listening.”
