Ian Pickup

My name is Ian Pickup and I have been associated with Meningitis Now for a number of years.

My background is as a teacher and headteacher. When I finished full time work, I became a home tutor for children who were unable to go to school and then I set up my own private tuition practice.

Initially I was a volunteer with Meningitis Now and did a variety of things such as collecting cheques from people who had raised funds. I spent a lot of time arranging for pupils to be given meningitis awareness literature and to understand the dangers of the disease, especially the need for urgent action if someone was suspected of having meningitis.

I first became aware of the disease when our son was 29-years-old. He was a dentist. He came home from the practice feeling unwell. Despite his medical training, he was unaware of what was wrong with him. We quickly realised that action was needed as his condition was deteriorating rapidly. We phoned for an ambulance which quickly arrived but the paramedic suggested calling our GP. We refused and he was taken to A&E. Initially they suspected he was on drugs or that he was very drunk. Fortunately, one of the nurses on duty was a family friend and she reassured the consultant and the medical staff that our son was not inebriated.

Eventually meningitis was diagnosed even though he had none of the symptoms. We were told he was critically ill and that he might not last the night. They pumped him full of drugs and he gradually improved, but he was in a coma for three days. He remained in high dependency and then was moved to a normal ward, eventually being discharged.

While all this was going on, we contacted Meningitis Now and we received help and advice. It is no exaggeration to say we could not have managed without them. Our son received no ill effects and is now fit and well and lucky to be alive.

My wife and I are both Community Ambassadors. In this role our main task is to make people aware of the dangers of meningitis and how quickly one can deteriorate and die. This applies especially to young people, and particularly students. We plan to continue attending university freshers’ fairs and distributing leaflets.

My message to anyone that suspects meningitis is to get the affected person to A&E and ensure they are properly looked at. You must be strong and persist. Remember it may only seem like a hangover but it might not be. Don’t take a chance!!