I woke up from a three-day coma tied to a hospital bed with a brain-swelling virus after snorkelling on holiday
The 30-year-old's ordeal grew even more frightening when she found out she had been in a coma for three days and was battling a killer brain infection.
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"I thought 'oh my god, I'm going to die'," the mum, from Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, said.
Just days earlier, Rebecca had set off for a seven-day holiday in Marmaris, Turkey, with her husband Vincent Roskilly-Pearson, 28, and their four children.
She had been snorkelling with her kids on a boat trip but avoided putting her head underwater as she suffers from tinnitus - a permanent ringing in the ears.
This is after she burst her eardrum while scuba diving 10 years ago, an injury doctors believe may have made her more vulnerable to infection.
By the time she had got back to the hotel, she started experiencing tinnitus symptoms, which often includes persistent ringing, buzzing, or whooshing sound in the ears.
"I thought it could be something to do with the boat trip." she said.
"Lots of things can trigger it [tinnitus] but mainly noise and if I get water into it. I do try to avoid getting water in my ear.
"My children are very noisy so they add to the tinnitus so I thought maybe I just need some peace and quiet.
She added: "I'm no stranger to ear pain so I did not think it was going to progress into this."
The next day, the family planned to visit a waterpark, but Rebecca decided to stay behind at the hotel.
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"I said to my husband 'my ear is still doing my head in so I won't be able to enjoy it. You take the girls and I'll stay at home with the baby'," she explained.
But Vincent refused to leave her side because she "didn't look right."
"We were told that if he had done that he would've come back to a dead body. He went against my judgement and stayed," Rebecca said.
As Rebecca began losing consciousness, her husband called for an ambulance.
"I am so grateful my partner stayed with me and didn't go to the waterpark," she said.
"I can be quite stubborn so I'm surprised I didn't just say 'no, just go'. I need to listen to him more."
After being rushed to hospital, Rebecca was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and swelling of the brain, which left her in a coma for three days.
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'SUCH A NIGHTMARE'
Once she woke up, doctors performed a procedure on her eardrum and believe the infection may have stemmed from an undiagnosed ear issue she picked up back in the UK.
Rebecca said: "Apparently [the doctors] were trying to do procedures on me and because I was so confused I was getting aggressive and lashing out.
"I had to be further sedated and restrained so they could actually find out what was wrong with me. That caused me to slip into a coma for three days.
"Then I woke up properly and immediately was confused where my husband and children were and what was going on and realised my arms and legs were strapped to my bed.
"It was shocking. I didn't believe it when they said three days. I wouldn't wish it on anyone."
She added: "It was terrified waking up hearing about brain swelling because my dad died of a haemorrhage to the brain.
"They did a procedure on my ear and it was excruciating because they sawed my ear drum."
The family were due to fly back home on July 3, but are now waiting until Rebecca is fit to fly and she remains on an IV drip and has to take painkillers.
What is meningitis and how you can you avoid getting it?
MENINGITIS is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges).
It can be very serious if not treated quickly - it can cause life-threatening sepsis and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves.
Symptoms include:
a high temperature (fever)
being sick
a headache
a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (but a rash will not always develop)
a stiff neck
a dislike of bright lights
drowsiness or unresponsiveness
seizures (fits)
Call 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest A&E immediately if you think you or someone you look after could have meningitis or sepsis.
Meningitis is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection.
Bacterial meningitis is rarer but more serious than viral meningitis.
Infections that cause meningitis can be spread through:
sneezing
coughing
kissing
Vaccinations offer some protection against certain causes of meningitis.
These include the:
MenB vaccine – offered to babies aged 8 weeks, followed by a second dose at 16 weeks and a booster at 1 year
6-in-1 vaccine – offered to babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age
pneumococcal vaccine – 2 doses offered to babies at 12 weeks and 1 year, and a single dose offered to adults aged 65 or over
Hib/MenC vaccine – offered to babies at 1 year of age
MMR vaccine – offered to babies at 1 year and a second dose at 3 years and 4 months
MenACWY vaccine – offered to teenagers, sixth formers and "fresher" students going to university for the first time
Source: NHS
"I came on this lovely holiday with my family and never expected it to turn into such a nightmare," she said.
Luckily, the parent had travel insurance but her friends set up a GoFundMe page to support the family while Rebecca is unable to work.
Rebecca said: "We're just stranded here. They're going to try and get me on a normal flight but they're going to get me airport assistance. I'm able to do little walks but as far as getting around an airport I don't think I'll be able to do that.
"It's hard to sit up for more than about 60 minutes at the moment without needing to lie back down because my head feels like it's spinning. It's day by day.
"[The GoFundMe page] is absolutely incredible.
"It's been a massive help and benefit because whether the insurance drags their heels a bit on sorting my family's accommodations, the insurers say they'll pay it back but that's to be seen.
"There's other costs like food and drink for my children.
"Because we're self employed we've got no income right now and we're missing out on a lot of markets and events that we do."
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