The heartbroken family of a 19-year-old student have shared a tragic last picture of her taken just four hours before she died as a stark warning of meningitis.
Halle O'Brien died from the fatal infection on January 27, after falling ill at university.
The Edge Hill University student was rushed to hospital where doctors told her family she was fighting Group A streptococcal septicaemia, which had caused meningitis.
Sadly she died at the Royal Liverpool Hospital hours later.
Following her death her devastated parents shared a picture with the ECHO , which was taken just four hours before the fatal infection took hold.
In the photograph, Halle - who was described by her parents Michael and Heather as “beautiful, sweet and incredibly bright” - looked the picture of health.
However, just hours later she died from meningitis, which her family said shows how the signs for meningitis are not easily apparent.
Her family, who are now trying to raise awareness of meningitis and sepsis said: "We want to emphasise the dangerous nature of meningitis in all its forms.
"The last photo of Halle was taken literally a matter of hours before she succumbed to the condition that ultimately took her.
"Apart from showing her beautiful face, it also serves as a warning that signs for meningitis are not easily apparent, and that notice must be taken of the symptoms in friends and family."
Here, in their own words, her grief stricken family have also paid tribute to Halle, whose name they said will always remind them of her “pure and massive heart”.
The tributes reads said: “Halle was incredibly kind and loyal to those who surrounded her as well as the life and soul of the party.
“Halle’s clumsy and naive charm, paired with her incredibly bright brain made for a perfect, incredibly beautiful, sweet and intelligent woman.”
Halle’s parents said from the moment their daughter was born it was her “huge light blue eyes” that they noticed.
And as she grew up and attended Forfield Primary her academic flare for English was noted.
Her parents added: “She had a quirky love for English, organisation and stationery which was clear from a young age.
“As was her enthusiasm for life, she would always jump feet first into any task with the attitude that she could make it work.
“It was such an endearing attribute, which made her friends for life at her primary school.”
Despite often being clumsy, Michael and Heather said their daughter - a former Chesterfield High School pupil - was “an incredibly bright young girl”.
They said she had many ambitions for her future- including going to university with the aim of ultimately becoming a teacher.
She was also one day looking forward to getting married to her fiancé, Edward Rooney, who she met at university.
Her grieving family added: “Halle had achieved everything she had set out to at her young age so far.
“She was getting firsts on her uni course, making her family proud and was in a loving relationship.
“Halle was a true enigma, a gem.
“To be remembered for the incredible impact she had upon everybody she was in contact with and she set an incredible example of how to be a young woman.
“She was a rare combination of beauty and brains, however she was humble to it all.
“She was unique.”
More information on sepsis can be found here and meningitis here .
