A TOWN hall leader's wife and former mayoress has told of how she nearly died after being struck down by meningitis.

Joan Doherty has spoken about her brush with death in the same week that a national campaign highlighting the dangers of the disease was launched.

Mrs Doherty, wife of Blackburn with Darwen Council chief Malcolm Doherty, was rushed to hospital after collapsing at her home in Mill Hill.

Joan discovered she had meningitis after she came round three days later in a special ward at Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

The virus had affected her so badly there were bruises across her legs from where she had been violently thrashing around while caught in the grip of the fever.

It was six months before Mrs Doherty was well enough to return to her job as receptionist at the town hall and she still has problems with her hearing. Mrs Doherty said: "I started feeling unwell on the Saturday and at first I though it was flu.

"On the Sunday I was violently ill and I went to bed but I still didn't think it was anything too serious.

"Malcolm came home on the Monday and found me collapsed in the bedroom and they took me straight to hospital.

"I came round on Thursday and that is when they told me what had happened."

Mrs Doherty added: "I was very lucky because a young doctor at Blackburn Royal Infirmary recognised all the symptoms.

"They started giving me the right medicine straight away and I think that probably helped to save my life.

"I think I am very lucky to still be here and a lot of that is down to the fact the symptoms were recognised straight away."

Although Joan Doherty escaped lightly compared to other meningitis sufferers she says the experience changed her life.

She said: "I tend to go out and do things straight away without worrying about the consequences.

"Something like this makes you realise that things will not always stay the same and change very quickly."

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