In autumn 2019, Ben set off for the University of Portsmouth to follow his dream of joining the Navy, however during the first term he was struck down with meningococcal septicaemia.
"I settled into uni life pretty quickly. I joined sports clubs and played cricket for the university. I had the normal life of a uni student.
"On a Friday in November I started to feel unwell. I’d had a few drinks with friends the night before and thought I was a bit hungover.
“I remember thinking, ‘there’s something not right here, I don’t feel right at all.’
“I could barely eat or drink anything. That’s when it gets a little bit hazy.
Passed out
“I didn’t find out until later that my flatmates had come to my room to check if I was ok and found me passed out on the floor. They called 999 and an ambulance came.
“One of the paramedics was a first-year student who I knew socially - I’d actually been out with him a few days before. He realised that I could name the people around me but couldn’t say my own name.”
“I was blue-lighted to A&E in Portsmouth. They initially thought I was just drunk and put me on a drip. A consultant came over and saw something was very wrong.
“My brain had started pushing down into the spinal cord, which is the last stage before death. It also caused me to have two strokes.
Prepare for the worst
“I was told that my chances of recovery to a normal state were very slim. A lot of people told me that I should prepare for the worst.
“When I look back now, it feels like a fever dream because of how quickly I became so seriously ill- it sometimes doesn’t feel real that it happened’
“Prior to Meningitis, I was a very keen cricketer, having played since the age of five. In cricket, part of the game is having to face bowlers who might be bowling at 60-70mph and being able to hit those balls. It wasn’t until I attempted to play again after my recovery that I realised I could no longer do this… one moment I would see a ball in a bowler’s hand, and the next thing I’d see was the ball hitting me or at my feet.
My biggest after effect from the Meningitis was my hand-eye coordination and balance. After a long period of working very hard with medical teams, I have now fortunately managed to return to playing cricket and living a normal life, however sadly I was unable to join the Navy.
No idea of the symptoms
“I had no idea of the symptoms – that’s why I confused it with a hangover, I think.
“It’s important to get to grips with the symptoms of meningitis because it might save your life - that and looking out for your friends, keeping an eye out and making sure everyone is alright.
“I had my life saved, very luckily. If my flatmates hadn’t seen something was wrong, it would be a totally different story, and I might not be here today.”
Watch a short video about Ben's experience here.
