“We are so grateful for all the support the charity has given to us as parents and for the funding to support Noah’s ongoing physical development.”
“We were shopping in Norwich on the Saturday and Noah was his usual self. On Sunday morning Noah was a little bit grumpy and didn’t want to ride his bike to the park. That afternoon he developed a high temperature, and this quickly progressed into a high fever and vomiting.
“On Monday, he was unable to stay awake to eat his breakfast and struggling to stand. He was admitted to hospital and the doctors quickly suspected meningitis due to him having unequal pupils and they started treatment accordingly.
“By Tuesday morning his condition and GCS numbers (which measure consciousness) were worsening. He was unresponsive and his bloods were at a septic level so Noah was induced into a coma, placed on life support and transferred to St Mary’s Hospital in London. He remained on a ventilator in neuroprotection for 13 days before managing to be well enough to breathe on his own.
Brain injury
“Whilst there Noah had an MRI which confirmed that the meningitis had caused a severe brain injury affecting multiple areas of both sides of his brain. We were told that they were unsure of a prognosis at that point and they didn’t know whether he would be able to walk or talk again. Noah was also suffering from prolonged seizures whilst on the ICU unit caused directly by the meningitis infection on his brain.
“The following few weeks were spent at St Mary’s and Ipswich Hospital where we remained until Noah was stable enough to come home. We as parents had some time to adapt and learn how to use an NG tube and were supported by physio/OT with how to help Noah, who at that point was nonverbal and immobile.
“The following few months at home were some of the toughest and worst months we’ve ever had as we adapted to feeling grateful that Noah was still with us, but sad for the part of Noah that felt gone. We put all of our energy into physio and were determined that Noah would walk and talk again and he slowly made great progress.
Rebuilding Futures Fund
“We reached out to Meningitis Now who were amazing and gave me a friendly ear just to talk everything through with someone who just really understood and knew what to say. We applied for the Rebuilding Futures Fund and were successful at gaining funding for ten physio sessions with a neuro paediatrics physio specialist.
“The highly specialist physio supported Noah with CIMT (constraint induced movement therapy) as well as general movement. The gains that Noah had on this course of therapy were truly invaluable. He went from not being able to use his arm/hand functionally to being able to grab, release and transfer objects which was huge progress.
“This has impacted his daily life so positively and given him some independence back. It has also helped with his frustration when playing as he is now able to play more independently and purposefully. The physio also aided his walking skills and got him walking more independently.
Back to his cheeky self
“Meningitis has had a huge impact on my child - he has severe damage to his brain, is now profoundly deaf in one ear, has a right-sided hemiplegia and continues to have seizures daily. We are so proud of all the progress Noah has made, he is back at nursery, is walking and talking with only minor balance issues and is back to his cheeky self.
“We know how lucky we have been and that the flip of the coin for his recovery has happened to be on our side, but we are also aware that the issues this illness has caused will continue to impact his development, character and independence skills for the rest of his life!
“We reached out to Meningitis Now to help us again this year and were successful in having funding for a more intensive specialist CIMT programme in Manchester. We are currently in the second week of a three-week intensive and Noah is making incredible gains. Casting Noah’s arm has allowed him to focus on his weaker hemiplegic arm and he is even now beginning to develop fine motor skills - again a skill we never thought would come back!
Grateful for support
“Without the charity’s support, we would have struggled to fund this specialist therapy that isn’t available on the NHS. The difference it will have on Noah’s skills will be amazing.
“We are so grateful for all the support the charity has given to us as parents and for the funding to support Noah’s ongoing physical development.”
Here at Meningitis Now we remain committed to supporting those who have been affected by meningitis. Our Rebuilding Futures Fund makes a vital difference to families living with the impact of meningitis and we are delighted to have been able to support Noah and his family. You can find out more about the Rebuilding Futures Fund here.
If you’ve been impacted by meningitis and require support, contact our nurse-led Helpline on 0808 80 10 388, or email helpline@meningitisnow.org.
