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Personal stories
Meningitis UK's vision is a vaccine to eradicate all types of meningitis and septicaemia. The driving force behind our work are the thousands of families who we represent who have experienced the terrible loss and suffering these diseases cause.
Here are some of the stories and faces which highlight the urgency of our mission to eradicate this disease and the devastation it causes.
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Spencer Dayman |
Callum Adamson |
Dylan Stott
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| Marshall Janson Aged one year Survivor Marshall fell ill with meningitis just days after his first birthday, causing him to lose both his hands and legs to septicaemia. Thousands of pounds have been raised to help the inspirational tot. Read more... |
Georgia Keeling |
Ella Funnell |
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Alexandra Hird |
Lucie Wood |
Steve Drew |
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| Ben Sillwood Aged 13 months Pneumococcal meningitis Doctors dismissed Ben's symptoms as a viral infection but he had pneumococcal meningitis and sadly died. Read more... |
Layton Cleaver Aged 16 months Layton will be remembered as a happy and lively character, whose short and unexpected fight with meningitis has prompted a fundraising campaign. Read more... |
Callum Mills Aged 10 days Strep B meningitis survivor |
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| Taylor-Rae Guerrero Aged 17 months Survivor Taylor's heart stopped twice as she battled meningococcal septicaemia and swine flu but she's gone on to make a miraculous recovery. Read more... |
Jaimie Skaife Aged 20 years Survivor Sports student Jaimie was found dangerously ill in her bed at university. Her housemate's quick-thinking saved her life. Read more... |
Amy Kilpatrick |
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| Robbie Jones Aged 23 months Survivor Little fighter Robbie has captured people's hearts with his bravery after losing both legs to meningococcal septicaemia. Read more... |
Gillian Redman |
Amelia Dawson Aged five months Survivor Doctors feared the worst when Amelia was brought into hospital but the hardy youngster has pulled through, although now suffers from epilepsy. Read more... |
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David Fay |
Owain McGee |
Ruby Burrell |
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Ashley Scriven |
Corine Rae Hill |
Martin Finch |
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Lisa Richardson |
Kevin Leaver |
Sean Coughlan |
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| Grace Merridan Aged 15 years Grace suffered a "triple-whammy" of diseases when she fell ill with meningitis and encephalitis before catching swine flu in hospital. Read more... |
Thomas Martin Aged two years The doctor discovered big black blotches when she lifted Thomas' top. He was rushed to hospital but died an hour later. Read more... |
Harry Keys Aged 11 days Group B Strep Survivor Harry's mum cried solidly for 24 hours as doctors battled to save his life. Thankfully his tiny body miraculously withstood the damage being caused by meningitis. Read more... |
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Amber Joel |
Eliza Grime |
Helen Cadden
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| Helen Laing Aged 24 years Helen Laing, a caring hardworking 24-year-old, died of meningococcal septicaemia, just four months after qualifying for her dream job as a nursery nurse. Read more... |
Kate Burke Aged 20 years Survivor A- Level student Kate Burke says she's only alive because her mum trusted her instincts. Read more... |
Lucy Hartley Aged 20 years Survivor When Lucy Hartley,20, fell ill with meningitis she thought it was a hangover. Read more... |
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Lyndon Longhorne |
Jamie Cowey |
Jacob Brown |
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Jodie Savage |
Liam Elliott |
Daniel and Lewis Wood |
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Hazel Southam |
Taylor Westley-Smith
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Paige RitchieSurvivor |
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Jessica Morgan
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Liam Newman |
Lily Knott Aged 19 days Strep B Meningitis survivor Lily was just 19 days old when her parents awoke to find her grey and lifeless. They thought she was dead. Read more... |
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Gemma Drury |
Rebecca Williams |
Emma Mackay |
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Helen Kearney |
Elliott Thornber |
Ewan Cooke |
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| Rory McNee 15 months Pneumococcal meningitis and HUS survivor Rory was fighting for life in |
David Coppin |
Aaliyah Wells |
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| Liam Keeling Aged 13 years Liam was a fit and healthy |
Alkin Ahmetaj Aged nine years Survivor The speed at which he fell ill, and the emotional rollercoaster that was to follow, has made his family realise just how lucky they are that he pulled through. Read more... |
Isabelle King |
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Saleem Akintoye |
Heather Crutchley Aged three days Group B Strep Survivor Heather's parents feared feared the worst for their newborn when doctors diagnosed meningitis but she's now a bright 13-year-old. Read more... |
Andrew Hession Aged 21 years Andrew thought he had an upset stomach when he first fell ill but was rushed to hospital the next morning, where doctors initially treated him for diabetic ketoacidosis. Read more... |
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Chris Pegler
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Charlotte Nott Aged three years Survivor Charlotte has lost all four of her limbs to meningitis but has proved an inspiration to everyone she knows. Read more... |
Khiara Grigg Aged 13 months Survivor Khiara's mum Carli knew something was seriously wrong but doctors didn't share her concerns. A frantic and emotional few days followed. Read more... |
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Daniel Halford |
Adrienne Murray Aged 20 years Survivor Adrienne had enjoyed a nice romantic dinner on Valentine's Day when she started to feel ill. Her boyfriend had to rush her to hospital the next day. Read more... |
Joanna Rigby Aged 43 years Survivor Joanna woke up with an excrutiating pain in her head, as though her brain was on fire. Doctors initially thought she was having a mental breakdown. Read more... |
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Margaret Penman |
Ian North |
Elise Pickering Aged 16 Elise was left with profound disabilities after she was struck down with meningitis at just four-weeks-old. Her mother Maria has told of the “great legacy” her “beautiful” daughter has left behind. |
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Holly and Brooke Matthews |
Declan Payne |
Mathew Johnstone
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George Lane |
Alicja Dancy Aged 14-months What was meant to be a happy family holiday ended in tragedy when her parents' 'little angel' fell ill the day before they were due to come home. Read more... |
Timothy O'Leary |
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Kerry Mackinnon
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Charlie McVey Aged 14 Survivor Charlie has been feeling unwell with the flu for several days when his mum Claire followed her instincts and called an ambulance after noticing a rash on her son. Read more... |
Oscar Hayes Aged seven months Oscar was ill and doctors failed to intially diagnose him with meningitis. He tragically passed away. Oscar's mum Amy tells her story and wants people to trust their instincts if they suspect meningitis. Read more... |
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Marcia Diamond |
Amy Whittaker
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Kadyn Busby |
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Mattia Sacca |
Daniel McMorrow |
Siobhan Noble |
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Maz Nolan |
Rachel Porter Viral Meningitis Survivor Rachel speaks about how unwell she felt at work, so instead of going home she checked into a hotel and soon discovered a rash. She was rushed to hospital and, after treatment, discovered she was battling viral meningitis. Read more... |
Amanda-Jayne Buckland |
Meningitis UK would like to thank the above families and all our friends and supporters across the UK, who work so tirelessly to help us raise money to find a vaccine and awareness of how devastatingly quickly the disease can strike. We are confident that with the support of people like you, we will be able to put a stop to this awful disease.
Make a donation to support Meningitis UK's search for a vaccine, or find out how to get involved
If you would like to tell your story to help us raise awareness of meningitis, our Press Officer Jason Hulbert would love to hear from you. Please phone 0117 947 6320 or email jasonhulbert@meningitisuk.org
We'd like to hear your story
Our press officer Jason Hulbert has a special appeal for all of our readers:
"I'm always looking for families who would be happy to share their experiences in the press, to help raise awareness of the symptoms and let people know about the charity. We often get approached by magazines looking for case studies too, so if you think your story might be suitable for a feature please get in touch."
If you're interested in helping, or would like to write something for this page call Jason on 0117 947 6320 or email jasonhulbert@meningitisuk.org.
Remember your loved ones
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