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Sinn Féin councillor Naomi Bailie returns home after meningitis battle

Sinn Féin councillor Naomi Bailie has returned home after spending ten weeks in hospital battling meningitis
Sinn Féin councillor Naomi Bailie has returned home after spending ten weeks in hospital battling meningitis Sinn Féin councillor Naomi Bailie has returned home after spending ten weeks in hospital battling meningitis

A SINN Féin councillor has returned home to celebrate a belated Christmas with her family after spending more than two months battling meningitis in hospital.

Naomi Bailie (31) was in a coma for five weeks and underwent six rounds of surgery after collapsing at home on December 7.

"I got up that morning with a crushing headache and, as I suffer from migraines, I took a tablet and thought that would kill it."

She called her husband, who arrived home to find her "crawling on the floor in pain".

"I have no memory of my journey to hospital, but have been told I was completely disorientated and would not obey paramedics who had to lift me out of the car. I am sure it was terrifying to see," Ms Bailie told The Down Recorder.

The family of the Sinn Féin councillor had appealed for prayers for her recovery as she underwent successive operations.

Ms Bailie said: "There were times (when my family) were advised to take things one day at a time.

"After my first operation I had a type of stroke associated with surgery, I could not move my left-hand side and the likelihood of brain damage was raised."

She added: "The (brain) tumour was also discovered and had to be removed once I was fit enough. Then we had to wait for results and thankfully that was benign."

A councillor on Newry, Mourne and Down District Council for the Downpatrick area, Ms Bailie was the first chairwoman of the council when it was created last year.

From Ballygalget, she is also an adviser to Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard.

Ms Bailie, who is married and has a baby daughter, said her heart "goes out to my family who were with me the whole time...for them it was awful".

"It has been a rough ride. Now it is about getting back to normal. If I can do that, I will be flying."