Meningitis stories

Diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia as a baby, Leo has been left with learning difficulties, and still faces further operations on his legs 17 years later

Kerri has had viral meningitis three times now, and is learning to live with the after-effects - both on her and her family

After viral meningitis left her housebound and dependent on a wheelchair, Kiri is keen for more resources to go into understanding and treating post-viral after-effects

24 year-old Charlotte still suffers with after-effects of exhaustion nearly a year after being diagnosed with viral meningitis, which caused her to feel the most ill that she'd ever felt

With support from Believe & Achieve, Rachel has a renewed sense of determination and confidence, after struggling with long-term after-effects of viral meningitis since 2017

Chenise thought baby Harry was suffering from a tummy ache. But when he became unresponsive that afternoon and developed a slight rash, she quickly found herself running from an ambulance into A&E

Once the figurehead of the family, Simon now lives with life-changing after-effects of bacterial meningitis - including severe memory loss, mobility issues and hearing loss

Student Will was in the middle of taking his A-Levels when he began feeling unwell. As his symptoms worsened, his dad took him to hospital where he was diagnosed with viral meningitis

What started as a common cold for Kieran quickly became something much more serious - pneumococcal meningitis. Although the initial illness has passed, Kieran and his family have been left fighting a seemingly never-ending battle with after-effects

Dexter - shown here with cousin Maisie and sister Tilly - had lost a lot of weight in the three weeks since his birth. A random urine sample showed he was suffering from E. coli bacterial meningitis

Premature baby Hannah was nine days old when she contracted bacterial meningitis, leaving her with developmental delays and visual impairments

Connie was originally diagnosed with a viral infection, as despite her symptoms of meningitis she had no rash. At mum Michelle's insistence, further tests revealed she was suffering from bacterial meningitis

Since being hospitalised with meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia, Sam is keen to highlight the support available for anyone else who has been affected by the disease

As Kim recovered from bacterial meningitis in 1997 she could only watch as she lost her toes, one by one. In 2008 something clicked and she found herself able to return to the sport she loved the most - running

Louisa was 23 when she was struck with a series of catastrophic illnesses, including streptococcal meningitis, leaving her with acquired brain injury

As the anniversary of his viral meningitis diagnosis approaches, Kris has shared his story as part of Viral Meningitis Week to help raise awareness of the disease and its after-effects

During a routine check-up for her 7-week old baby Sienna, Sabrina mentioned that she'd had a bad night and high temperature. Within hours, Sienna was being treated for meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia

October 2021 will mark 20 years since Abi contracted meningococcal septicaemia, leaving her with an acquired brain injury and painful mobility. Her mission now is to normalise mobility aids and inspire others to be proud of theirs too

Kayleigh Ann was 10 years old when she contracted meningococcal septicaemia, resulting in multiple surgeries; however, she counts herself lucky to still be here

Despite her physical recovery, Lucy has been left with a number of after-effects after contracting MenC, including short-term memory issues and survivor guilt