“The Bachelor” alum Daisy Kent experienced one symptom prior to her meningitis diagnosis that made her realize her health was going to take a turn for the worse.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, Kent, 25, explained that she had experienced a “shocking pain” and known something was “really wrong.”
“I had like a shocking pain that was going down my spine,” she began. “I couldn’t even turn my head and I got sick a lot, growing up, so, I’m pretty good at gauging when you know something’s really wrong.”
The reality television star opened up about how her battle with meningitis affected her.
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“That was a very scary time in my life. I’m very happy to still be here, and I don’t have any long-term issues from it,” Kent began. “Looking back, it’s definitely, probably one of the most scary times in my life. One of the most scary times for my family, but, I got through it.”
WATCH: ‘Bachelor’ star Daisy Kent reveals ‘shocking’ meningitis symptom
Kent continued, “I think looking back, sometimes we don’t understand why things happen in the moment, but now it’s so cool that I have this platform, and I’m able to spread awareness about different things and talk about my health battles and kind of how I’ve overcome them and turn it into positivity.”
Kent, who was on season 28 of “The Bachelor,” was diagnosed with meningitis while she was a student at San Diego State University, according to a TikTok video she shared in 2023. She was a freshman in college and 19 years old at the time.
At the time, she said, “I went to bed at midnight, and I had a little bit of a headache, and then I woke up at like probably 3 a.m., and my head was pounding, so I took a bunch of Tylenol. My head was throbbing so bad, I couldn’t even open my eyes.”
Her condition began to quickly get worse.
“I was laying in my bed and all of a sudden, I physically could not move like any part of my body,” Kent said in the video. “So a guy that lived on my floor picked me up, carried me downstairs, and my roommate and her brother brought me to a different hospital.”
Eventually, Kent had to undergo a spinal tap and was treated in the ICU before she was given her meningitis diagnosis.
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“They were giving me so much morphine,” Kent said in her video at the time. “And literally, nothing would stop the pain. I’ve never been in that much pain in my life. I literally thought I was going to die.”
According to E! News, several students at San Diego State University were diagnosed with meningitis in 2017.
Kent also shared with Fox News Digital that she had been diagnosed with Lyme Disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, Lyme Disease “is an illness caused by borrelia bacteria. Humans usually get Lyme disease from the bite of a tick carrying the bacteria.”
WATCH: ‘Bachelor’ alum Daisy Kent shares meningitis diagnosis
Now, Kent’s health is better than ever.
“Today I’m feeling great. I’ve had quite the health journey, which has made me more cautious about what I put in my body and different things that I’m doing,” she began. “Which is why I do love cottage cheese. It’s been such a great thing for me. Right now, I’m doing great, and I’m very happy, and I’m healthy.”
Kent continued, “I think health is something people kind of take for granted sometimes until they go through something. But it’s something we should be so appreciative for, because, you know, it’s not always guaranteed.”
Kent recently partnered with Daisy Brand to become the face of the cottage cheese and sour cream company. Kent told Fox News Digital that she’s been eating cottage cheese for years, especially when she was sick, because of the amount of ingredients in the milk product.
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“It’s definitely very important to me,” Kent told Fox News Digital of eating healthy and staying fit. “Like finding things that are nutritious, packed with protein and other things, too, that are beneficial for your body.”
“I think when you go through something like I had gone through, and there were times like I couldn’t get out of bed, there were times I was in a wheelchair for a couple of weeks. You really become thankful for moving your body,” she continued. “There were times when I couldn’t even eat, and I was just getting fed through IVs and stuff like that, and getting my nutrition in that way.”
Kent concluded, “I think it really makes me look at life differently and just how, you know, how, like when you have your body, and it’s functioning well, how you still should treat it with love and give it things that are nutritious.”
