The first time Aleina Beer walked into the hospital complaining of a sore, stiff neck and a headache, she was told to go home and take some paracetamol. Less than 24 hours later, the fit and active then-23-year-old was critically ill with meningococcal meningitis, in multi-organ failure and fighting for her life.
“I’d had colds before where you get sore glands, but this felt very different,” recalls Aleina.
“All around my neck was sore and I couldn’t turn my head, so I called Mum to take me to the emergency department because I couldn’t drive. They said it was probably just a cold and sent me home.”
A strong upbringing
Raised on a Southland sheep station, Aleina grew up “pretty hearty”.
She tells, “Unless you were dying, you just got on with it.”
But what Aleina didn’t realise was just how close she’d come to dying. After deteriorating overnight, she knew she had to get back to the hospital – and quickly.
“I remember telling Mum to drive faster because I could feel my mind slipping away, coming in and out of consciousness.”
A fight for survival
Being carried through the hospital doors is the last thing Aleina remembers. By the time she was admitted to Southland Hospital, her blood had stopped clotting and her kidneys had shut down. Airlifted not long after to Dunedin Hospital in critical condition, Aleina spent nine days in an induced coma. Her family willed her to survive during that time.
“I was having nightmares non-stop while I was in a coma and I had no idea where I was,” shares Aleina, now 29
“So when I woke up, I was very sceptical of what was happening and didn’t know if it was real.”
Raising awareness
Aleina, who wasn’t vaccinated against meningitis at the time, is speaking to the Weekly about her terrifying ordeal to raise awareness on behalf of the Meningitis Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand for World Meningitis Day on Sunday, October 5
She initially spent three months in the hospital undergoing 10 operations, including the amputation of four toes as a result of sepsis. She also underwent months of dialysis, eventually being discharged with her kidneys functioning at 15 percent.
A difficult decision
Around 18 months later, she decided to have her right leg amputated below the knee.
“People ask me if it was really hard to decide to amputate, but that was actually really easy,” she admits.
“I’d had two infections in my ankle, so it was severely arthritic with cartilage destroyed, a major ligament eroded and mostly bone grinding on bone. I had been on Fentanyl for two years to manage the pain, but I couldn’t walk on it most days.”
A new beginning
When Aleina woke up from surgery, the overwhelming feeling she remembers is happiness.
“After that, I was ready to climb all the mountains,” she laughs.
While there have been dark days and huge hurdles to overcome, through it all, Aleina has clung to the can-do, get-on-with-it attitude her parents Nigel and Jayne instilled in her. At 27, her kidneys stopped working and once again the resilient family banded together.
Family ties and life-saving donors
Jayne and her son Nathan, then 29, underwent full testing to donate a kidney. Neither was a complete match. However, through an Australasian donor exchange programme, Nathan donated one of his kidneys to a stranger. This allowed Aleina to receive an organ match from Australia.
“We’ve always been very close growing up and it’s so cool he did that for me,” she enthuses.
The kidney should last around 20 years before Aleina needs another transplant – and she’s determined to make the most of it. She’s started rock climbing with her boyfriend Josh Parker, 30, continued to ride horses – a passion from earlier years that’s been deeply healing during her recovery – and dreams of one day competing in dressage at the Paralympics.
Finding freedom on the farm
“It’s just such a free feeling riding and enjoying it, especially on the farm, where it’s quite remote with nature all around,” smiles Aleina, who also coaches at her local pony club and is an Equestrian Sports NZ judge.
“It was so therapeutic.”
She’s also built her own business, Akatore Massage, and shares her journey on Facebook and Instagram at Aleinas Story.
“People are amazed at how much I fit in, how I get out and about, and the different things I try to do. I just think, ‘What’s the point in not trying?’ It’s a lot more fun giving everything a go.”
Inspiring health awareness
After inspiring so many, most of all Aleina hopes her story will encourage others to be vigilant with their health.
“Meningococcal disease isn’t just a bad flu,” she explains.
“It changes your life. If hearing my story helps even one person get vaccinated or push for answers when they’re unwell, then it’s worth sharing.”
To find out more, visit meningitis.org.nz.
