12 South London Press, Tuesday, September 30, 2014
News
www.southlondon-today.co.uk
My son beat meningitis...
MUM SHARES EXPERIENCE TO URGE PEOPLE TO BE VIGILANT By HAYLEY RICHARDSON
Andrea Muirhead, 44, of Englewood Road, spoke out in support of the recent National Meningitis Awareness Week. Her eldest son, Rory, contracted the disease in 2003 when he was just two-and-a-half. “Rory had been poorly for a couple of days with a bad cold and a high temperature,” Mrs Muirhead explained. The family took the toddler to their GP and were told to keep an eye on him overnight. The next morning they found him unconscious. They called an ambulance and Rory was taken to St George’s Hospital, Tooting A&E where he was put on life support for a week and given a general anaesthetic.
k2216/C
A MUM from Clapham who nearly lost her son to meningitis is urging South Londoners to be more vigilant in spotting the disease.
k2215/C
ROAD TO RECOVERY: Left and above, young Rory Muirhead after his ordeal; below, with mum Andrea earlier this year
Infection
Rory, now 13, had pneumococcal meningitis, a bacterial infection more deadly than the viral strand of the disease. Mrs Muirhead said: “We were told the infection was so severe that Rory might not live, and if he did he would be severely brain-damaged.” Rory spent a further two weeks in hospital before he was able to go home. Though Mrs Muirhead said she feels incredibly lucky that Rory survived, she stressed that he was traumatised by the illness. “He was terrified of people, he’d been in a lot of pain,” she explained. “He was sick for a good year after. When he came out of hospital he couldn’t speak or walk.” The disease left Rory permanently deaf in his left ear and partially deaf in the right. Mrs Muirhead, who gave birth to her second son just three weeks before the ordeal, said: “It was a really difficult time.” She admitted it was like having two babies, as it was difficult to get Rory to sleep at night. With the support of family and friends, great perseverance and without any physiotherapy, Rory gradually learned to walk again. In 2004, he started at Eaton House The Manor School in Clapham Common and remained there for 10 years, where he formed a strong group of friends. Mrs Muirhead said her son has come an incredibly long way since his devastating illness.
Prestigious
Rory, who turns 14 at Christmas, started at the prestigious Westminster School this September and is really enjoying it. “He’s been through it, but he hasn’t let it hold him back,” Mrs Muirhead said. “He doesn’t think of himself as different to anyone at all. “He loves football. He plays in the first 11 in his school football team.” Mrs Muirhead, a solicitor, wholeheartedly supports National Meningitis Awareness Week and is happy to share her experience with the local community so that other families do not suffer a similar ordeal.
k2217/C
“Everyone needs to know the symptoms so they can seek medical help fast,” she explained. Mrs Muirhead said in her experience the key signs to watch out for are a persistently high temperature and sleepiness. She explained that Rory did not have a rash, and with him being a new baby suffering from a cold, she expected him to be more tired than usual. Christopher Head, chief executive of the Meningitis Research Foundation, said the charity is extremely grateful to Mrs Muirhead for supporting its campaign.
‘Devastating’
He said: “Her personal experience really brings home how devastating these diseases can be.” Meningitis and septicaemia affect approximately nine people in the UK and Ireland every day, according to the foundation. It is most prevalent among young children and students but can strike at any time. An estimated 25 per cent of survivors are left with life-altering after-effects, ranging from deafness and brain damage to loss of limbs. The disease kills one in 10 of those affected. Mrs Muirhead said: “If you have any doubts, go to the GP. “It’s not worth waiting as once they lose consciousness, it’s pretty serious.” ● For more information, or to make a donation to the charity, call the Meningitis Research Foundation Freephone helpline on 080 8800 3344 or visit www.meningitis.org
newsdesk@slp.co.uk