The dangers of meningitis, its symptoms and the vaccines are well-publicised. But there are many after-effects and long-term problems for survivors of the deadly disease that you may not be as readily aware of.
Teddy Townsend suffered meningococcal septicaemia when he was two years old. The disease left him fighting for his life.
He went to nursery on a March Monday morning from his home in Shurdington near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and returned feeling unwell. 'When he came home he was a little off-colour,' explains his mother, Corrine. 'When he went to bed he was running a temperature and we thought he just had a bug.'
Teddy's father slept in his son's room overnight and awoke to find Teddy had been sick. 'By this point you could see he wasn't well,' recalls Corrine. 'He was having fits, and when we rang the doctor he came out and said straight away that he'd got meningitis.'
Teddy was rushed to a nearby hospital and was stabilised by doctors. He was then moved to Bristol Royal Infirmary where he spent two and a half weeks in intensive care.
As is always the case with meningitis, the first 24 to 48 hours were touch and go. Thankfully, Teddy survived. But the disease had taken its toll.
He suffered a lot of skin damage to his legs, due to the septicaemia (blood poisoning), and lost muscle, resulting in foot-drop in his right leg. His hands were also affected and he lost the ends of some fingers.
When he left intensive care, Teddy was moved to another Bristol hospital where he spent six weeks undergoing numerous skin-graft operations.
He is now six years old and still needs frequent hospital trips to check on his scarring. He has also had numerous operations on his hands, most recently in April this year.
On the mend
Teddy returned to nursery when he had recovered enough. Then in January this year he started attending school full time. 'Up until then he could only do half-days because he gets extremely tired,' Corrine explains. He also has very poor concentration levels compared with other children in his class. 'We've just tried to make his life normal really. It's just taking him a bit longer than other children,' she says.
Because of the foot-drop in his leg, Teddy wears a leg splint so that he can walk. 'If he's not splinted he just trips over,' Corrine explains. 'But you know children; you can't stop them running. He spends a lot of time on the deck but he's used to it now.'
Teddy has done incredibly well, but may need further surgery in future. 'As he's growing, some of the scarring might not grow with him. I think there will always be problems now until he stops growing,' says Corrine. 'Then things should settle down and hopefully that will be the end of his surgery. But I suppose many years ago they wouldn't have been able to do anything for him.'
After-effects
Corrine now does publicity work for the Meningitis Trust. She is keen to make people aware that time is of the essence if a child falls ill with meningitis. 'If you think the child is unwell, and they're running a temperature, then it's always worth getting it checked out. We were fortunate with Teddy; many people aren't.'
There are around 3,000 reported cases of meningitis in the UK and Ireland each year. Meningitis and septicaemia can occur separately or together, but both can result in long-term after-effects.
The Meningitis Trust estimates that 15 per cent of meningitis sufferers are left with serious disabilities, such as brain damage, epilepsy, deafness, blindness, neurological problems and learning disabilities. In severe cases of septicaemia, tissue damage can result in amputation. Many more suffer short-term or less serious problems, including tiredness, persistent headaches, clumsiness and stiff joints.
Despite these after-effects many, like Teddy, return to school and get on with their lives. 'We're just grateful he's still here,' says Corrine.
Toddle Waddle
* This year's annual Meningitis Trust Toddle Waddle will take place between 2 and 15 October.
It is a great way to raise money for the Meningitis Trust and public awareness of meningitis and septicaemia.
If you would like to get involved or learn more, you can register online at www.toddlewaddle.org, telephone 0845 644 0184, or see page 12.
