Meningitis stories

Ayesha was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis when she was 17. She has been left with a number of after-effects. Despite this she is not letting it stop her achieving her goals.

10 minutes after leaving hospital with a diagnosis of cluster headaches, Thomas had a seizure caused by what turned out to be bacterial meningitis

Two years ago, Gemma was diagnosed with viral meningitis after flu-like symptoms became more severe. Read her story

After spending five days in a coma, Lindsey has been left with no hearing in her left ear after contracting meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia

Kevin contracted viral meningitis as a child, but wasn't treated until damage to his optic nerve had been done. He now co-hosts a podcast encouraging men to talk about their struggles in life

Joanne was 29 when she contracted meningitis in 2009; now, with coping techniques and medication, she is able to manage her after-effects

Cat was in her first year at uni when she was struck down by viral meningitis. Four years on, with support from Meningitis Now, she is learning to manage her after-effects

Roisin never thought for a second that she would have to make the heart-breaking decision to turn off her daughter's life support after she contracted Group B strep

Alfie was just six weeks old when he contracted deadly MenB. Mum Shannon tells their story

Daisy didn't think that her illness could be meningitis, as she didn't have a rash. However, as her symptoms worsened, she was soon being treated for the worst-case scenario

Breastfeeding mum Kasie found her treatment options were limited when she contracted viral meningitis, but she is glad she chose to continue

Stephanie spent six days in hospital before being diagnosed with viral meningitis. However, she wasn't aware of the after-effects of the disease until she found Meningitis Now

Mike fell ill with meningococcal meningitis in September 2018. Despite devastating after-effects he is now rebuilding his life.

Paul thought that his symptoms were the flu, but when he woke up in intensive care after three days, he discovered that his illness had been much worse

When Samantha developed a severe headache and lost control of her right leg, she knew her symptoms were more than just from overdoing it

Jude was 8 days old when he was rushed to hospital with Group B strep meningitis. Nine years on, mum Jessica shares their experience and explains the developing after-effects that Jude has been left with

Rachael was overjoyed to bring her twin baby girls home, but when a midwife picked up Nancy's high temperature it wasn't long before both girls were in PICU, fighting for their lives

After contracting meningococcal septicaemia as a 2-year-old, Xavier, now 22, has been left with severe after-effects. Mum Lynn tells their story

Baby Joe spent eight weeks in hospital after being diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis, and has been left with a range of complex after-effects. Mum Cherelle tells their story

Denise had been feeling unwell for a few months, but her headache suddenly got so severe that she ended up in a coma, fighting for her life