Meningitis stories

Amelia from Norfolk tells us the chilling story of what her new-born daughter, Esther, had to go through before being diagnosed with viral meningitis at just three weeks old

Kate from Essex was looking forward to introducing her new son to his big sister. But viral meningitis, and the ongoing after-effects of her son’s diagnosis, meant the newborn days turned into months of worry

Twelve months ago Sophie had what she thought was sunstroke. In fact, she’d contracted viral meningitis and it has been a life-changing experience for her

Allison from Essex was a high-flying manager in the city before she was hit by viral meningitis. After many years of recovery, she has learnt what makes her happiest in life

Having been told she had heatstroke, Tilly was eventually diagnosed with viral meningitis. She tells us what happened next

Helen had viral meningitis and was in hospital for two weeks, it has left her to this day with after-effects

Holly from Weston super Mare in Somerset, went to hospital, where she spent a month while doctors investigated her meningitis

Now 39, Stacey was diagnosed with viral meningitis at 18 after her mum rushed her to A&E with a severe headache, sickness and aching all over her body

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

Ashley fell ill with viral meningitis about a year ago - a time that left her feeling incredibly alone as doctors weren't able to give her much information about what was happening to her

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

Suzi had heard of meningitis - but hadn't realised that there was a viral form of the disease, until baby daughter Harriet was diagnosed at 11 weeks old

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

After undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumour, Colin has been left with a complication that has resulted in him contracting bacterial pneumococcal meningitis once, and viral meningitis five times

Karen, from Wales, is keen to raise awareness of Mollaret's meningitis - a rare, recurring form of viral meningitis - having had the disease seven times since 2008

As baby Connor was being treated for viral meningitis, mum Claire was told that if she hadn't brought him to hospital when she did then things would have been a lot worse

Baby Charlie was irritable, unsettled and screaming when he was picked up. A series of tests later it was confirmed that Charlie had contracted viral meningitis

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