“We are so so lucky that Arthur made a recovery from this awful disease.”
“In January 2023, my husband Billy and I took our little boy, Arthur, to hospital as he was unwell and we knew something wasn’t quite right. Although at the time we thought he just had a bad sickness bug and was dehydrated and delusional.
“Arthur spent two nights in hospital hooked up to antibiotics and fluids. After numerous tests during this time, we received the devastating news that Arthur had pneumococcal meningitis and sepsis. We were heartbroken and it didn’t feel real. At this point Arthur didn’t even have a rash or any of the other common symptoms associated with meningitis and they didn’t appear for another couple of days!
Scariest time of our lives
“This had to be one of the scariest times of our lives, seeing our gorgeous and usually very lively little boy, sleeping in a hospital bed for days on end.
“We are so so lucky that after a total of 10 days in hospital Arthur made a recovery from this awful disease. Unfortunately, he lost the hearing in his left ear, which will never return and now he has a hearing aid, but we are so grateful as the outcome could have been much worse.
Don’t wait for a rash
“When you hear the word meningitis, the first thing you think of is a rash and the glass test. However, there are many other symptoms and, as in Arthur’s case, a rash doesn’t always appear immediately, or at all. Know the symptoms, trust your instinct and please don’t wait for a rash!
“I am running the Great North Run on 8 September this year for Meningitis Now as I want to raise awareness of meningitis and as much money as possible for Meningitis Now.”
If you’d like to support Jasmine’s Great North Run visit her sponsorship page here.
