He tells his story here:
“I was only one when I contracted meningitis so don’t recall very much, but, according to my mother I had a fever and was just 'not right'.
We saw several GPs before my symptoms were picked up and I was sent to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
After six long weeks in hospital I eventually made a full recovery. I have been told that there was a point where I was not expected to survive after having developed septicaemia.
I’m lucky in that I didn’t suffer any physical after-effects as so many others are not. I did have a psychological assessment aged five as I would not make friends and spent a lot of time alone at primary school. I don't believe this was diagnosed as anything specific.
In my twenties I experienced panic attacks which started with no apparent warning and were specifically related to exams. I am a doctor so it was a real pain having these attacks as there are many exams to pass!
I’m not sure if there is any link between the attacks and contracting meningitis as a child, but I do know that the emotional impact of the disease can be huge.”
