BBC Sport presenter Seema Jaswal has revealed she was given a “second chance” at life after a terrifying bout of meningitis B left her in a coma for up to 48 hours when she was a teenager.
The 41-year-old, who fronts the broadcaster’s snooker coverage and has presented World Cup and Champions League football, was just 16 when the illness struck in April 2001.
Working part-time at a coffee shop whilst studying for her A-Levels, Jaswal initially experienced what seemed like a severe headache.
A night doctor dismissed her worsening condition as flu, but the situation rapidly deteriorated.
BBC Sport presenter Seema Jaswal was put in a coma for 48 hours
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“It felt really debilitating,” Jaswal said. “I went to bed early that night. My mum kept checking on me and it felt so painful, awful.”
Throughout the night, Jaswal’s symptoms intensified dramatically. She began vomiting bile and experienced severe neck pain, fading in and out of consciousness.
Her mother Raziya remained vigilant, and one particular detail raised alarm bells.
“My mum turned off the light and I was like, ‘mum, please turn off the light, I can’t look at that,'” Jaswal recalled.
This sensitivity to light convinced Raziya that her daughter might be suffering from something far more serious than influenza.
BBC Sport presenter Seema Jaswal admitted she was so lucky to escape with her health intact
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Despite the doctor’s earlier assessment, she trusted her instincts and immediately called for an ambulance.
“I cannot thank my mother enough for acting so quickly,” Jaswal said. “The doctor himself said I had the flu. The signs can be very similar at the beginning to a flu.”
Paramedics rushed the teenager to hospital, where her parents were warned to prepare for the worst possible outcomes.
Jaswal spent approximately two weeks recovering in hospital, losing significant weight and feeling utterly exhausted.
“I felt completely drained but being 16 I just wanted to get back to normal life. I was so lucky that I was able to do that,” she said.
The presenter, now an ambassador for the charity Meningitis Now, emphasised how fortunate her outcome was compared to many others who contract the disease.
“If you have Meningitis B, many people come out of it with something that could be long-lasting: a disability, you lose a limb, lose your sight or hearing. That happens to a lot of people,” she explained.
Warning signs of meningitis include sudden high fever, severe headache, and sensitivity to bright lights | GETTY
Having made a complete recovery without any lasting effects, Jaswal describes herself as “eternally grateful” for her second chance.
Jaswal is now urging the government to introduce compulsory vaccinations following the recent deaths of two students in Kent.
“I don’t know why they haven’t put it as mandatory. We have a problem with that,” she stated.
The presenter criticised what she perceives as insufficient awareness among policymakers, adding: “For some reason, it feels like something big has to happen for people to realise how awful this is.”
Two dead after outbreak of meningitis and septicaemia at university
More than 40 MPs have written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting calling for a catch-up vaccination programme at universities. The National Pharmacy Association reported this week that private meningitis B vaccine stocks have run out entirely.
Jaswal urged people to learn the warning signs: fever, stiff neck, vomiting, muscle pain and severe headaches.
She noted that the rash many associate with meningitis actually appears last, when the infection has entered the bloodstream.
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