Doncaster woman fighting back after being close to death in her teens

Jessie Coult, now 20, of Thorne had a life threatening scare back in 2021 and brushed close to death but was saved by surgeons and doctors at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Northern General and Sheffield Hallamshire Hospital.

It started one normal day with stomach cramps which soon escalated the next morning.

Jessie takes up the story: “I couldn't lay down and I ended up vomiting excessively and my temperature was getting much worse. My mum, Rachel, rang A&E and described the symptoms and before we knew it an ambulance was dispatched.

“I had to hobble downstairs with my mum, the paramedics, when they arrived, were rushed into my grandparents home in Armthorpe and the hospital wasn't too far from them. They took my obs and my temperature which was showing alarming results, I was loaded into an ambulance after having my obs and being questioned.

“I was taken into DRI and had blood tests taken, canulas, CT's and ultrasounds.

“The doctors then told my mother and I that I had Necoritizing Pancreatitis and I had a Pseudocyst.

“Time was ticking but they could not place a stent to drain this Pseudocyst as the walls on it hadn't fully developed and it was too thin. I was placed in ICU where my health started to decline much worse, I developed Sepsis and two blood clots and had to have anti coagulations injections.

“A few days had passed and I was severely ill, pale, weak and couldn't keep food down due to vomiting, I couldn't function. I was then told I had to go to Sheffield as there was no surgeons for Pancreatitis here. I had to travel alone in an ambulance without my mother.”

She continued: “Time was ticking, as soon as I got to Sheffield hospital I was placed on a special ward, similar to Intensive Care Unit, a doctor had came in and told me a procedure and I was still terrified and weak. The doctor painted an orange coloured thing on my neck but I did not feel numb. The doctor placed a tent like thing over my head without sedating me and inserted four wires into my neck.

“I wasn't able to move properly and was severely uncomfortable, I'd had more blood tests taken and then was taken to another Sheffield Hospital where I met the surgeon who was about to perform my surgery. My mum travelled to me but had to stay in a hostel with strangers. After a while, she was granted access to see me. I didn't look the same at all.

“My mum was heartbroken to see her daughter in this position and I felt so much worse seeing her see me in this state. I was taken in for a stent to drain this Pseudocyst as it had developed fast and my mum waited for me, I was then taken to a ward to heal and my mum went with me.

“I was in a side room attached to wires and a feeding tube with injections for anti coagulations everyday at 5pmM. The surgeon came in and said the surgery went okay and if it was left for too long, it could have resulted in death - the cause of my Pancreatitis is still idiopathic.

"Some on my pancreas has died and the surgeon said it had gunk on it that could not be surgically removed as I would've bled out on the surgical table. I remember days passing by and finally being discharged, I still have scarring from the trauma.”

She concluded: “I never thought I'd see the day I turned 20 but I did. I turned 20 on December 10 last year. Flare ups can come and go but not as severe as the very beginning.

“I want to thank the Doncaster Free Press for sharing my story and the hospitals for their bravery and help, and most of all, thank you to my family and friends that stuck by me through this.”