Guest AuthorI was saddened by the news last week that a young Lakeland student died from apparent bacterial meningitis. This story breaks my heart because I know this tragedy could have happened to my family. I’m writing to share my story and encourage all parents to protect their children from this preventable disease.
On Mother’s Day 2003, my 11-month-old daughter Breanna, whom we call Weeble, wasn’t feeling well. She had a runny nose, was sick to her stomach and appeared tired and withdrawn.
Thinking she had simply come down with the flu, I called both our local emergency room and Weeble’s pediatrician to confirm my feeling. Overnight, Weeble’s health deteriorated noticeably, and eventually her fever had hit 107, and we couldn’t wake her up.
At that point I drove her to the emergency room, where three unsuccessful spinal taps were performed. She was then transferred to a children’s hospital, where her fever, a stroke and several seizures made the diagnosis apparent to one of the paramedics: My infant daughter had strep b pneumococcal meningitis.
We spent three weeks at the hospital after that initial ambulance ride. One-third of the left side of Weeble’s brain had significant damage, leaving her with almost constant seizures.
Today, 11 years later, my daughter still suffers from an average of four visible seizures a day, along with non-visible seizures that occur throughout the day. Weeble has endured two brain surgeries in hopes of alleviating these seizures, but the second surgery actually made them worse.
All of these side effects, everything my little baby has suffered through for more than a decade, stem solely from the meningitis — an insidious disease spread through close contact with other people, and one that I now know is completely preventable.
Today, 12-year-old Weeble attends school under the close watch of an exceptional teacher who we have been blessed to connect with during her time in elementary school. However, the meningitis has left Weeble non-verbal, and that makes socializing hard for her.
When she completes elementary school, she will enter a “Hospital Homebound” program because her seizures make it impossible for her to attend a regular middle school.
In telling Weeble’s story, I am not looking for sympathy. I simply want to help other parents protect their children from contracting meningitis. A vaccine that protects against strep b pneumococcal meningitis had been available for two years before Weeble got sick, but I was not aware she was missing this protection.
Today, Weeble and her three sisters are up to date on all of their recommended vaccinations. Because school-aged children are particularly vulnerable to meningitis and the ways it spreads, it is very important for them to be protected. The federal government has taken the guesswork out of when to get children vaccinated, producing an online vaccine schedule organized by your child’s age range.
Most alarming is that the same type of meningitis that Weeble contracted kills or disables 1.7 million people every single year. We have the power — and the duty — to lower this tragic number through vaccination.
I recognize that some parents are on the fence about whether to vaccinate their children, so I offer this one piece of advice: Please understand that the potential risk from vaccinating children is miniscule when compared to the benefits of enabling your child to live a healthy life.
My Weeble is a loving, adorable girl, and I love her with all my heart just as she is — but I will forever wish she could have enjoyed a “normal” life. The horrible life changes she has endured, and will live with her entire life, could have been prevented. Give your children a fair chance against debilitating illnesses. Get them vaccinated.
Lori Holland is a mother of four beautiful daughters, including Breanna (Weeble), a meningitis survivor. She is a Florida Team Leader for Meningitis Angels and actively advocates for vaccination of all children against the disease. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
