Natasha died of Toxic Shock Syndrome the first time that she used Tampons however, her symptoms were mistakenly diagnosed as the Norovirus. Generally speaking, it is accepted knowledge that leaving a tampon in for too long can cause Toxic Shock Syndrome. In Natasha’s case, she followed all of the instructions and used the tampon correctly; it was simply the introduction of the tampon into her body which caused Toxic Shock Syndrome to take effect.

Toxic Shock is very rare, but also very deadly

Tash became ill five days before she died but remained in good spirits, and only the evening before she died, she was telling Mandy off for fussing over her, and saying that she was feeling much better.

She died peacefully at approximately 6.45am on Valentine’s Day after falling asleep watching one of her favourite TV programs.

We cannot express how much we miss our beautiful, gifted, kind & funny Natasha. All of our family, and many others close to us, are still reeling from the shock of losing our wonderful girl. We hope that you and your family never have to go through what we have gone through, and are still going through.

We thought that one thing we could do, to honour Natasha, and to help others, would be to start an awareness campaign about Toxic Shock Syndrome. We are in communication with Public Health Wales, the two main tampon companies, and we have already had some success with GPs and with the education system in Gwent. All the age-appropriate pupils attending schools in Gwent have been made aware of Toxic Shock Syndrome. We are determined to make at least everyone in the UK aware of what the symptoms are, and what the risks are. Putting it very simply it goes like this….

If you use tampons and are having a period or your period has recently finished and you develop a sudden high fever and one or more of the symptoms below, please tell your doctor straight away.
Symptoms of Toxic Shock Syndrome
The symptoms of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) normally begin with a sudden high fever (body temperature rises above 38°C/100.4°F).
Other symptoms then rapidly develop, normally in the course of a few hours. They may include:
• vomiting
• a sunburn-like skin rash, with the whites of the eyes becoming red/pink
• diarrhoea
• fainting or feeling faint
• muscle aches
• dizziness
• confusion
Shedding of the skin in large sheets, especially from the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, is usually seen one to two weeks after becoming ill.
When to seek medical advice
If you develop a sudden fever and one or more of the other symptoms listed above, it is still extremely unlikely that you have TSS. Nevertheless, symptoms like these should never be ignored. Contact your GP, local out-of-hours service or NHS Direct (on 0845 46 47) immediately.
If you are wearing a tampon, remove it straight away. Also tell your GP or doctor if you have been using a tampon, recently suffered a burn or skin injury, or if you have a skin infection such as a boil or a blister that has become infected.
The above was taken from the NHS website http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Toxic-shock-syndrome/Pages/Symptoms.aspx
Toxic Shock is very rare, but also very deadly

We also want to take this opportunity to thank all our friends who have been supporting us through this terrible time, please keep praying for us, keep helping us, and keep caring for us.