Johari A

Ato was 8 months old when he contracted the disease and had been showing signs of a cold. In late July my parents got a call from his nursery saying he had an excessively high temperature and so he was rushed to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital where, within 24 hours of his arrival and admission, he suffered the first of three respiratory arrests and was therefore transferred to the ICU in Stoke overnight. 

Ato was in an induced coma for 2-3 months, which was when he began fitting and showing signs of epilepsy. He was given a brain scan, which showed severe damage to five different areas of his brain.

When Ato woke up and was allowed home neither we, nor the doctors , knew what to expect. He received several months of physiotherapy in order to help him learn to walk. We are very lucky to have Ato still with us - now physically healthy and alarmingly tall for the age of fourteen. Unfortunately his brain damage has left him with epilepsy and severe autism. He is completely dependent upon those around him as his mental development has been extremely delayed and he also has a very limited vocabulary. 

Since Ato’s illness, Meningitis Now have provided my family and me with a lot of much needed support and guidance. I have manned information stalls and raised money for Meningitis Now in the past, but in becoming a Young Ambassador, I hope to be able to support those who have suffered the same difficulty, and also to educate and raise awareness amongst those who don’t understand it.