Parents of teenager who died from meningitis pay tribute to son
25.11.10
THE parents of a bike-mad teenager, who died within 24 hours of contracting meningitis, have paid tribute to their cheeky, smiley son.
Eighteen-year-old Chris Pegler died suddenly last Thursday, less than 24 hours after he was struck by the condition.
His death sent a shockwave through the community in Wotton, which responded by immediately organising a tribute celebration last Friday in which teenage friends drove mopeds through the town, in memory of Chris' passion for bikes, and let off hundreds of Chinese lanterns.
Flowers adorn Chris's moped outside the front of his home at Pitman Place and mum Karen, dad Steve and sister Becky have been inundated with cards and phone calls.
"The response from the town has been incredible, I knew he had lots of friends, but not this many," said Mrs Pegler.
"It has helped us through this sad time. Some of the boys have been riding past on their bikes and waving and we really like that."
Chris, a former Katharine Lady Berkeley's School pupil, recently got a job with Graysons Restaurant at Renishaw's Woodchester site.
But his passion was for mopeds, both riding them and modifying them.
"He loved his moped, as soon as he got in he'd be out again on it. Once he rang me up and he was in Wales," said Mrs Pegler.
"He had such a cheeky smile, but everyone said how polite and lovely he was.
"I could still get a kiss and cuddle from him when I wanted, he was really loving."
Chris' close friend Sophie Tanner organised the bike parade last Friday. She said: "Chris was awesome. You couldn't have asked for a nicer kid. No one had a bad word to say about him."
Chris complained of feeling ill last Wednesday, when he had a temperature and sickness. After taking some tablets to lower his temperature that afternoon he said he was feeling better.
However at 2am the next morning he woke up complaining of feeling ill and having a rash.
His mum immediately recognised it as meningitis and called an ambulance. Despite doctors working quickly to treat him, Chris' heart stopped later that morning.
"It was so quick, he had no chance," added Mrs Pegler.
Steve Dayman, chief executive of Meningitis UK, lost his own son Spencer to the disease in 1982.
He said it was vital a vaccine was found to eradicate the disease.
"We understand that Chris died very suddenly. Meningitis is an especially cruel disease because of the speed at which it strikes, sometimes killing in as little as four hours.
"Unfortunately, teenagers and those up to the age of 24 are the second most at-risk group from the killer brain bug, behind children under five."
To order your free symptoms information pack, call 0117 373 7373 or visit www.meningitisuk.org
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