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If you knew my son, you’d sign the petition for a meningitis B vaccination If you knew my son, you’d sign the petition for a meningitis B vaccination
(35 minutes later)
This week parents have been sharing photos of their dangerously ill children, following the death of two-year-old Faye Burdett from meningitis. A petition to give all children the meningitis B vaccine has becomes the most signed in parliamentary history.This week parents have been sharing photos of their dangerously ill children, following the death of two-year-old Faye Burdett from meningitis. A petition to give all children the meningitis B vaccine has becomes the most signed in parliamentary history.
I know the devastating effects that this illness can bring about, and thought I would explain a little about what can happen when a child is struck down by what is now a vaccine-preventable disease.I know the devastating effects that this illness can bring about, and thought I would explain a little about what can happen when a child is struck down by what is now a vaccine-preventable disease.
Until December 1999, I had a perfectly healthy five-month-old baby, happily sitting on his 91st centile line after a normal, uneventful birth. This was until he got the flu, the kind of flu that makes me snort with derision when people with a cold say they’ve got it, the kind that saw me take him to the doctor’s three times in one week because I was worried: worried about him dehydrating; worried that he had a chest infection; just really, really worried. I was pooh-poohed each time and told he was fine.Until December 1999, I had a perfectly healthy five-month-old baby, happily sitting on his 91st centile line after a normal, uneventful birth. This was until he got the flu, the kind of flu that makes me snort with derision when people with a cold say they’ve got it, the kind that saw me take him to the doctor’s three times in one week because I was worried: worried about him dehydrating; worried that he had a chest infection; just really, really worried. I was pooh-poohed each time and told he was fine.
He woke up on Saturday 11 December noticeably iller than he had been the day or night before, pale to the point of waxiness, really quiet and faintly blotchy, like cold winter skin on your thighs but without a temperature.�Alarm bells rang, but I couldn’t place them. He didn’t seem to mind the light. At five months old, he was too young to tell me if his neck was stiff, or whether he had a headache. There was no rash. He woke up on Saturday 11 December noticeably iller than he had been the day or night before, pale to the point of waxiness, really quiet and faintly blotchy, like cold winter skin on your thighs but without a temperature. Alarm bells rang, but I couldn’t place them. He didn’t seem to mind the light. At five months old, he was too young to tell me if his neck was stiff, or whether he had a headache. There was no rash.
After messing around with the doctor’s out-of-hours service (which is another diabolical story altogether), I took him to hospital. I assumed at this point he had pneumonia, and although he didn’t wake up once on the journey there, I wasn’t yet beside myself until the point at which he was seen by Triage (which was thankfully immediately) – who told me to follow them, and to run. So run I did, to Resus, at which point the doctors stripped my son of his clothes to discover the unmistakable petechial rash around his groin.After messing around with the doctor’s out-of-hours service (which is another diabolical story altogether), I took him to hospital. I assumed at this point he had pneumonia, and although he didn’t wake up once on the journey there, I wasn’t yet beside myself until the point at which he was seen by Triage (which was thankfully immediately) – who told me to follow them, and to run. So run I did, to Resus, at which point the doctors stripped my son of his clothes to discover the unmistakable petechial rash around his groin.
As luck would have it, Barnet hospital were extraordinary, but they also had St Mary’s paediatric retrieval team there, who spent over six hours resuscitating him and getting him stable enough to transfer to St Mary’s.As luck would have it, Barnet hospital were extraordinary, but they also had St Mary’s paediatric retrieval team there, who spent over six hours resuscitating him and getting him stable enough to transfer to St Mary’s.
The journey from Barnet to Paddington took 15 minutes in rush hour, pre-Christmas traffic. God only knows what the driver was on –but I’ll be forever thankful for his speed. His heart monitors stopped at one point, and there was not a peep from my poor boy.The journey from Barnet to Paddington took 15 minutes in rush hour, pre-Christmas traffic. God only knows what the driver was on –but I’ll be forever thankful for his speed. His heart monitors stopped at one point, and there was not a peep from my poor boy.
It transpired later that he did have a chest infection too – a bad one, one that meant that the septicaemia that was shutting down his body and stopping him breathing. The infection was having a field day.It transpired later that he did have a chest infection too – a bad one, one that meant that the septicaemia that was shutting down his body and stopping him breathing. The infection was having a field day.
He spent a week in hospital and a further 10 days on intravenous antibiotics, and then he was fine. Except he wasn’t. I won’t detail each part of the last 16 years, partly because it would too long and partly because I really can’t bear to.He spent a week in hospital and a further 10 days on intravenous antibiotics, and then he was fine. Except he wasn’t. I won’t detail each part of the last 16 years, partly because it would too long and partly because I really can’t bear to.
He is profoundly deaf in one ear, and suffers horrendous tinnitus; he has dizziness and bouts of seizures, and his immune system is screwed. He has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and coeliac. God only knows what else is in store. I haven’t even touched on how this has affected him psychologically, but needless to say various psychologists, a psychiatrist and CAMHS have been involved.He is profoundly deaf in one ear, and suffers horrendous tinnitus; he has dizziness and bouts of seizures, and his immune system is screwed. He has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and coeliac. God only knows what else is in store. I haven’t even touched on how this has affected him psychologically, but needless to say various psychologists, a psychiatrist and CAMHS have been involved.
So it was bittersweet when the meningitis B vaccine was revealed. Because its too late for him, too late for me, too late for our family. Too late to stop a disease that during that week in December stole my perfectly healthy, happy baby and left me with a different baby altogether, a different child – and now nearly a different man.So it was bittersweet when the meningitis B vaccine was revealed. Because its too late for him, too late for me, too late for our family. Too late to stop a disease that during that week in December stole my perfectly healthy, happy baby and left me with a different baby altogether, a different child – and now nearly a different man.
I love him; of course I do, as I did before. But I mourn the loss of something that might have been so different for him, something kinder and easier and a little bit safer.I love him; of course I do, as I did before. But I mourn the loss of something that might have been so different for him, something kinder and easier and a little bit safer.
So when you’re debating whether or not to vaccinate, whether its for meningitis or measles, remember that by vaccinating your children you are protecting other people’s children too – those who are too young to be vaccinated or who are medically unable to be.So when you’re debating whether or not to vaccinate, whether its for meningitis or measles, remember that by vaccinating your children you are protecting other people’s children too – those who are too young to be vaccinated or who are medically unable to be.
Its very easy to forget that measles remains one of the biggest killers of young children globally, and that’s not counting the lasting effects it can have, which are not entirely dissimilar to those of meningococcal septicaemia.Its very easy to forget that measles remains one of the biggest killers of young children globally, and that’s not counting the lasting effects it can have, which are not entirely dissimilar to those of meningococcal septicaemia.
Thankfully meningitis B is rare, but if the situation were to arise now, and I discovered someone had refused the vaccine and put my child in the situation he is now, I’m not really sure what I would do. Something quite unspeakable probably, using filthy language and a large amount of violence. So if you haven’t signed the petition about the meningitis vaccine, please think about doing so.Thankfully meningitis B is rare, but if the situation were to arise now, and I discovered someone had refused the vaccine and put my child in the situation he is now, I’m not really sure what I would do. Something quite unspeakable probably, using filthy language and a large amount of violence. So if you haven’t signed the petition about the meningitis vaccine, please think about doing so.