Lewes meningitis survivor warns symptoms could be mistaken for a "bad hangover"
Tilly Buckton says she did not have the telltale rash when she fell ill at a music festival
A Lewes meningitis survivor is urging young people to be aware of the signs of meningitis after warning symptoms could be mistaken for "a bad hangover".
Tilly Buckton says she did not have the telltale rash when she fell ill at a music festival - with medics initially thinking she was drunk before misdiagnosing her with heatstroke.
The 22-year-old had been sunbathing when she began simultaneously shivering and sweating, experiencing full body stiffness after suffering a severe headache in the days prior.
She described having to wear sunglasses as she couldn't "look at any bright lights or the sun".
"I got told by a doctor I was lucky I got to hospital when I did.
"I think hearing that really sets the tone of how serious it is."
This week, universities in Sussex have been taking precautionary measures after the death of a student in Kent.
A spokesperson for the University of Brighton said it's "boosted the visibility of it's health guidance on campus and across our digital student channels", while the University of Chichester said its "monitoring the meningitis outbreak in Kent and have shared health advice from the NHS with all of its students."
The University of Sussex said it's "deeply saddened" to hear about the deaths in Kent. and added it is "sharing information with students to remind them of meningitis symptoms and encouraging vigilance about their own health and that of others."
"If you feel you're not okay and this is not normal, it's so important you get it checked out," Tilly urged.
"This could be the difference between life and death." Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.