Jay Aston was reduced to tears as she spoke about her daughter's terrifying battle with meningitis - which saw her and her husband told she had a 50/50 chance of survival.
The Bucks Fizz singer revealed on Sunday (April 17) that her teenage daughter Josie remains in hospital after falling seriously ill last month, before being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis.
The 18-year-old was admitted to intensive care and put in an induced coma after her organs began to fail. Weeks on, she is still in a specialist kidney unit and has been told she will be permanently scarred, the Mirror reports.
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Appearing on Loose Women on Monday, Jay emotionally told Kaye Adams, Frankie Bridge, Katie Piper and Jane Moore: "We almost lost her."
The star explained how Josie wanted her mum to go public with their experience because she "wants is to make people aware of what happened to her." She told how her daughter was healthy and on "fitness kick and was glowing" in the days leading up to falling ill.
"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 heatstroke," Jay said. Josie then complained of a fever, aching neck, and severe joint pain.
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After unsuccessfully bringing down her temperature she called 111 and when no ambulance arrived she decided to drive her to A&E herself. Recalling the moment she knew more needed to be done, a tearful Jay said: "I had her in my bed with me and she woke up at about 3am and told me, 'I'm not right.'"
Breaking down, she said: "If she'd gone in her own bed I don't think I'd have a daughter," before the panelists comforted her.
Jay said she recognised the signs of meningitis as her husband almost died from it 19 years ago. "She [Josie] was my silver lining after almost losing my husband," she said as more tears started to flow. "So I knew what to look for," she continued before explaining how she found a rash on Josie's arm in the early hours of the morning after putting on her bedroom light to take a look at her.
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"I knew then what it was and I was like, 'Oh God, not again," Jay added as Kaye asked if she 'knew instantly' to which she said she did. "It was very similar to what my husband had."
Jay said that Josie might be able to come home tomorrow and shared how it was important to tell their story. "Thanks for letting me tell people about it, we wouldn't want it to happen to anyone else," she said as the interview came to an end.