Scots Teen Fights for Life in Spain After Terrifying Incident Leaves Lungs ‘Filled with Blood’

A family holiday turned into a nightmare for 13-year-old Charlotte Meek from Larkhall, who is now fighting for her life in Spain after her lungs suddenly filled with blood, reported by the Mirror. Charlotte was on a trip to Alicante with her parents, Wendy, 52, and Stephen, 54, to celebrate the Kings’ Day parade on January 5 when the tragedy unfolded.

The day after the parade, Charlotte became gravely ill. “We had three days enjoying a nice wee break,” her father, Stephen, shared. “Then in the early hours of Monday morning, Charlotte began to have coughing fits quite consistently, then began coughing up blood, which is never good. By 5.30 a.m., she was being violently sick with a lot of blood”, reports the Daily Record.

Despite having a rare genetic condition called SWAN (Syndrome with no name), which causes undiagnosed underlying health issues, Charlotte had been well recently, making the sudden illness all the more shocking. Her condition rapidly deteriorated, and she was rushed to a hospital in Alicante. “By the time I got there, she was already being put on a ventilator and her oxygen levels were worryingly low,” Stephen recounted.

Charlotte was declared critically ill and transferred to another hospital, where she remains in intensive care. “She has had a slight improvement, but she is still very poorly, relying on the ventilator to breathe and fully sedated,” her father explained.

The ordeal has brought back devastating memories for the family, as they lost Charlotte’s older brother, Justin, under similar circumstances during a holiday in Florida in 2014. Stephen described the current situation as a “mirror image,” adding to the emotional toll.

The family has now relocated to an apartment near the hospital to remain close to Charlotte as she fights for her life. Doctors have yet to determine the cause of the bleeding, and the recovery process is expected to take weeks. “They have told us to prepare to spend weeks here while Charlotte recovers,” Stephen said. “If she continues to recover, there will be discussions further down the line about flying her home, but just now, we are focusing on each day.”

Despite the uncertainty, Charlotte’s parents remain by her side, holding onto hope for her recovery and the possibility of bringing her home when the time is right.