“By sharing dad's story, we're hoping to raise awareness about how quickly bacterial meningitis can progress and how important it is to seek immediate medical attention.”
Raymond, aged 56, was on holiday in South Africa when he fell ill. What at first seemed like a bad cold was actually bacterial meningitis and his condition rapidly deteriorated.
After 10 days in hospital he was declared brain dead, and he died shortly afterwards, devastating his family. Daughter Kimberly shares their story here to help raise awareness of how quickly bacterial meningitis can progress.
“During our family vacation to South Africa, my father started feeling sick with what seemed like a simple cold. On that particular day, he drove us from Stellenbosch to Cape Town. Later that afternoon, he developed a severe headache and decided to lie down in bed. At one point, he came downstairs briefly to eat a sandwich, but then went back to bed to rest.
“By the evening, he still wasn't feeling any better. He complained of an intense headache that didn't respond to painkillers. In the early hours my mom went to check on him and found that his condition had worsened significantly. He struggled to move from the bed to the bathroom, could barely keep his eyes open and was difficult to understand when he tried to speak. At that point, we rushed him to the emergency room.
Malaria suspected at first
“Because we had recently been in Kruger National Park, malaria was suspected at first, and blood tests were done. However, these came back negative. Pneumonia was also ruled out. Around noon, the doctor decided to start antibiotic treatment for meningitis and performed a lumbar puncture. That evening, it was confirmed that he had meningitis.
“The next day, when we visited him in the ICU, the doctor immediately took us aside and told us that things had taken a very serious turn. It was a bacterial meningitis infection, and they were having difficulty identifying the exact strain. Later, we found out that after he received antibiotics that previous day, he had slipped into a coma. We assumed that he was sleeping and hadn't realized how critical his condition was.
In a coma for 10 days
“He remained in a coma for 10 days. During the first two days, he still responded to touch and pain, but those responses soon stopped and there was no further neurological improvement. The CT-scan showed severe brain damage in the brainstem. The only thing we could cling to was that he still had independent control over his vital functions, including his breathing.
“After 10 days of antibiotic treatment, he was declared brain dead because he could no longer initiate breathing on his own. Shortly after that, his vital functions rapidly deteriorated, and within a day and a half, he had passed away.
“This experience was devastating for our family. By sharing our dad's story, we're hoping to raise awareness about how quickly bacterial meningitis can progress and how important it is to seek immediate medical attention.
“What started as what we thought was a bad cold, turned into something life-threatening in less than 24 hours.”
