Meningitis stories

Jon contracted meningitis in 2018 whilst living and working in India, he recounts his story here

Leo contracted group b strep meningitis as a baby, his mother, Rachel, tells the story

John very sadly lost Bella but he has kindly shared his story with the hope of raising awareness of meningitis and the possible outcomes of contracting it

In the middle of the covid pandemic, 19-year-old Alice became ill and increasingly worse, fortunately the intervention of friends and family meant that an ambulance was called.

Ten years ago Jasmine contracted meningitis. To mark the anniversary, she’s braving the shave for Meningitis Now

Rebecca was nearly 5 when she fell ill in 1987, Fortunately, her mum remembered seeing one of our awareness posters at the local GP surgery, which made her question an incorrect diagnosis and helped save Rebecca’s life

Diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia as a baby, Leo has been left with learning difficulties, and still faces further operations on his legs 17 years later

Ben was a drama student when he became ill with what he thought was the start of a nasty cold. He quickly deteriorated, and woke up in hospital with a diagnosis of bacterial meningococcal meningitis

Coby had symptoms of what appeared to be a slight cold; but he quickly deteriorated and died of meningococcal meningitis the following day

After daughter Ruby's diagnosis of bacterial meningitis, nurse Tracy has shared her tips for improving bowel health - something she is certain has helped Ruby's recovery

Sarah thought she had a migraine, but as tests showed the 26-year-old midwife had contracted meningococcal meningitis

Having recently returned home from hospital, Sammi is keen to raise awareness of bacterial meningitis and how a rash doesn't always appear

Mum Vicky couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong when baby Oscar cried like he'd never cried before, and rushed him to hospital - where he stayed for four weeks battling meningococcal meningitis

It's not the physical symptoms that Ashleigh remembers the most of in the hours before her diagnosis of bacterial MenB meningitis, but her change in behaviour

Ben contracted bacterial meningitis when he was 15. Fortunately, he received medical care quickly as his condition deteriorated and he continues to recover well

Chenise thought baby Harry was suffering from a tummy ache. But when he became unresponsive that afternoon and developed a slight rash, she quickly found herself running from an ambulance into A&E

51-year-old David, from Glasgow, had been suffering with severe earache, leading to headaches and vomiting before a lumbar puncture confirmed bacterial meningitis

Once the figurehead of the family, Simon now lives with life-changing after-effects of bacterial meningitis - including severe memory loss, mobility issues and hearing loss

What started as a common cold for Kieran quickly became something much more serious - pneumococcal meningitis. Although the initial illness has passed, Kieran and his family have been left fighting a seemingly never-ending battle with after-effects

Dexter - shown here with cousin Maisie and sister Tilly - had lost a lot of weight in the three weeks since his birth. A random urine sample showed he was suffering from E. coli bacterial meningitis