Charlotte, from Beckenham in Kent, saw her 9-year-old daughter Laura become ill in 2006 with a high temperature, stiff neck and intolerance to light. She then started vomiting and developing a rash.
“My daughter started being sick one Sunday evening in January. She the developed a very high temperature that didn’t go down with medication.
“She was eventually admitted to high dependency the next day after the third hospital/doctor visit!
“She was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and septicaemia and was in hospital for five days. She then continued intravenous antibiotics at home.
Missed two months school
“She missed two months of school. The most obvious initial after-effect is that she is profoundly deaf in her left ear. Apart from being profoundly deaf in one ear my daughter has developed POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) and chronic migraines. Both of these are thought to be as a result of the meningitis. She is unable to work full time as a result of this.
“I support the use of vaccines. If she had been vaccinated she would not now be living with the long-term after-effects of this disease. She and my son have both been vaccinated against all forms of meningitis for which vaccines are available.”