Adele Younes, a 19-year-old student from Mansfield, was enjoying her freshman year at Emmanuel College in Boston when her health took a sudden turn for the worse in March.
“It started with just a headache, but then she laid down for a few hours and looked completely different. She was turning pale and in real agony. That’s when I knew something was seriously wrong, so I called an ambulance,” recalled Yve Younes, Adele’s father.
Initially, doctors suspected the flu, but when ominous black marks began appearing on her body, they realized it was something much more severe.
“Meningitis was mentioned, and they immediately started intravenous treatment. Despite their efforts, it became apparent that Adele wasn’t responding to treatment,” Younes explained. “At one point, I feared I was going to lose my daughter.”
The bacterial meningitis left Adele in a coma for three weeks. It was a harrowing experience for Yve, facing the possibility of losing his only daughter. However, Adele has shown incredible resilience. She has regained consciousness and is now able to eat and drink. Unfortunately, she has also developed sepsis, resulting in devastating consequences.
“She was transferred to Mass General Hospital, where they had to amputate four fingers on her left hand, five on her right, and her entire left foot from ankle to toes,” Younes shared.
The exact trigger for the meningitis remains unclear. Adele is set to begin rehabilitation soon, where she will learn to adapt to life with prosthetics.
