Amber Joel
Aged 10 years
In March 2006, Amber, a bright and bubbly young girl, was staying at her Aunt Sally's house for the night with her older sister Megan. In the early evening Amber called up her mum, Julie, to ask to come home as she was not feeling very well. She had been sick several times and had a high temperature. When her auntie dropped her off home, Amber's temperature was steadily rising and she could not stop being sick, so the family took her to Sheffield Children's Hospital immediately.
Julie reflects: "We rushed Amber to the hospital and three doctors looked at her and all three agreed it was a gastric infection and that she should go home."
The family returned home and Amber's illness continued into the early hours of the morning. At 6am the next day Amber asked her mum for a bath to try and cool down and it was then when the little girl noticed a rash developing over her chest.
"We called an ambulance immediately and went straight to the Sheffield Children's Hospital where Amber was placed on a ward," said Julie. The family had been at the hospital for only five minutes when little Amber started to fit and was put on a ventilator. She was then rushed to intensive care where over the next 24 hours they did several tests on her brain and found out that Amber was only remaining alive because of the ventilator.
After days of emotional turmoil and agony the family decided to turn off the ventilator. Amber died on 7th March 2006.
Amber's sister Megan was just 11 when her best friend and sister died. With just one year between them, the sisters had a very close bond and the tragic death of Amber has had a major impact on her. Similarly, 17-year-old sister Danielle and 19-year-old brother Jamie feel the loss deeply and seek the support of their peers.
"It's very hard for the children but they are coping as well as can be expected. They talk to their friends about it and that gives them a lot of support. Anniversaries and birthdays are the hardest days for us all to get through," says Julie.
Meningitis UK's Chief Executive Steve Dayman contacted the Joel family soon after Amber's death and visited them all to talk about their loss. Julie added: "When Steve came to visit us it was such a big help, he answered so many of the questions that we needed answering, he explained so much to us all and really gave us support. Everyone needs to be aware of the symptoms, more people need to be educated to spot the warning signals associated with meningitis."
By a cruel twist of fate this was not the family's first experience of meningitis. Megan also had meningitis eight years ago, but she was one of the lucky ones and an early diagnosis and treatment at hospital meant that she made a full recovery.
The family are regularly in touch with Meningitis UK staff who they describe as being able to ‘offer help 24 hours a day, a listening ear and support'.
To show their support of Meningitis UK and to help raise much needed funds to find a vaccine, the Joel family arranged a sponsored walk from Mosborough to Eckington, raising over £6,000 which, over 90 of their friends and family participated in.
Amber's Aunt Sally said: "On the walk we handed out information leaflets and stickers to try and inform more people about meningitis. The research work that Meningitis UK does is so important, their mission is to find a vaccine and that is why raising these funds is just so necessary. As long as we are all doing something for Meningitis UK, we are doing something for Amber, to remember her by and to help raise funds needed to find a vaccine."
Every year the family have pledged to have 'Amber's Day' where they will arrange a fundraising walk in memory of Amber and in aid of Meningitis UK.
MeningitisUK · Registered Charity No.1076774