IF I HAD ONLY KNOWN PERSONAL STORIES ABOUT MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE

IF I HAD ONLY KNOWN PERSONAL STORIES ABOUT MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE

A SURVIVOR S STORY When John Kach began college, he was at the top of his game. He had quickly acclimated to college life he joined the varsity basketball team and his days became filled with games, practices, parties and a full courseload. John was striving to get the most from his college experience, until one day when he thought he came down with the flu.

Experiencing severe vomiting and a high fever, John went to the hospital for treatment for dehydration, still thinking that his illness was just a bad case of flu. While at the hospital, however, John was diagnosed with a form of meningococcal disease that infects the blood, called meningococcal septicemia, which can cause irregular clotting and gangrene. Within hours, his kidneys and lungs stopped functioning, and doctors put him into a druginduced coma. John remained unconscious for six weeks while receiving treatment and his body fought the disease. Unfortunately, in his battle against the disease, his doctors were forced to amputate his legs and every finger on both hands. I was devastated, but I knew that I couldn t let it stop me, said John. I survived meningococcal septicemia (blood poisoning), and that was a miracle now I had to fight back, and help prevent this from happening to anyone else. Today, John walks with the help of prosthetic legs and has learned to use his hands without having fingers. He s even learned how to play basketball again. John s determination helped him fulfill a promise he made while still battling meningococcal disease to his teammates: that he would walk onto the court with them the following fall s basketball season. It was important for me to let people know that despite what I d been through, I m still me, and I can still do everything that I did before. Now fully recovered, John graduated from college, has started his own business and is driven to educate others about the dangers of meningococcal disease by telling his story. There is a vaccine called MENACTRA that protects against four of the five main strains of bacteria that cause meningococcal disease, so high school, university and college students can receive broad protection against the disease. Lifestyles associated with college life tend to make students more vulnerable they live in close quarters in dormitories, spend time in crowded lecture halls and share items that come in contact with the mouth like water bottles, cigarettes and lipstick.

John Kach, a meningococcal infection survivor and now an advocate for broad immunization. Students should speak to their family doctor, or student health clinic, to get broad protection against this devastating disease. My only regret is not getting the vaccine, because it may have prevented infection. I knew about the vaccine, but I didn t prioritize protecting myself. My hope is that other students will learn from my experience. Students should speak to their family doctor, or student health clinic, to get broad protection against this devastating disease. While rare, the risks associated with meningococcal disease can be very high. Between 2002 and 2005, there were almost 800 cases of meningococcal disease, including meningococcal septicemia, in Canada. Outcomes of meningococcal disease can range from full recovery to permanent disability or death. 1 in 10 people who contract the disease will die. Death typically occurs within 24 to 48 hours after symptoms appear. Of those who survive, some (11 to 19%) will be permanently disabled. Broad immunization against meningococcal disease is important.

A MOTHER S MESSAGE Mary Clough lost her 19-year-old daughter MacKenzie Carey Clough to meningococcal meningitis. When Mary Clough was preparing her daughter to attend college at Sir Sandford Fleming in Peterborough, the last thing on her mind was bacterial meningitis. In fact, she knew nothing about the disease and didn t expect how quickly it would devastate her family.

Today, Mary tells Macey s story in hopes that other families can become educated about meningococcal meningitis, and help protect their children against this devastating disease. Mary s daughter Macey (MacKenzie) called home early on Friday morning to ask her mom if she would pick her up from college as she didn t feel well enough to drive herself home. Macey had vomited early that morning and had the chills. Concerned by the call, Mary arrived at the school around 11:30 a.m., where she recalled that Macey looked pale just like she had the flu. Macey slept most of the three hour journey back to Bracebridge and went to bed when she got home. Around 5:30 p.m. that day Macey s dad checked on her and she said she was still feeling awful. When Mary arrived home that same evening around 6:30 p.m., Macey was asleep, and Mary woke her up because she had thrown up on the carpet. Macey looked dazed and confused like she had no idea who I was or what I was talking about. I knew something was wrong and I immediately called 911. Macey was taken by ambulance to South Muskoka Memorial Hospital and then on to St. Michael s Hospital in Toronto when she was stable enough to travel. It was around 1:30 a.m. when the Clough family left for St. Michael s. Upon their arrival, they were escorted upstairs where the treating physician delivered the terrible news: He told us that our daughter Macey didn t make it. He told us that they did all they could. Macey died in less than 24 hours from the onset of her symptoms. Meningococcal disease is a rapid, life threatening disease. Meningococcal meningitis is a rare but serious bacterial infection that struck approximately 200 people every year between 2002 and 2005 in Canada. Children, adolescents, young adults, and those over 55 are most commonly affected, and about 10 per cent of those who contract the disease will die. It s been found that people like Macey, who are living in close quarters, such as a university or college dormitories, are at increased risk of contracting the disease. Meningococcal meningitis is a type of meningococcal disease that, in the early stages, can often be mistaken for common viral illnesses like the flu, but it progresses very rapidly and can kill an otherwise healthy young person in 48 hours or less.

It is important to note that students can help protect themselves by seeking vaccination against the disease. Almost all cases of meningococcal disease are caused by five strains of the meningococcal bacteria, and infection with four of these strains, A, C, Y and W-135, can be prevented through immunization with a vaccine called MENACTRA. While most current routine immunization programs only vaccinate against the C strain, it is important for parents to speak to their child s physician to get their children broad protection against meningococcal disease. We didn t know what meningococcal meningitis was after Macey died we learned that children can be at risk living in a dorm, said Mary. There is a conjugate vaccine that provides broad protection against all 4 vaccinepreventable strains of meningococcal meningitis, which is available to help prevent this horrible disease. I can only hope that parents and their children learn the facts about meningococcal disease and get vaccinated no matter what the cost. Mary Clough poses with a photo of her daughter, MacKenzie Carey Clough.

MENACTRA is a vaccine used to prevent meningitis and other meningococcal diseases caused by Neisseria meningitidis (strains A, C, Y and W-135). This vaccine may be used in persons 2 to 55 years old. MENACTRA does not protect against meningococcal disease caused by strain B. As with all vaccines, 100% protection cannot be guaranteed. MENACTRA vaccine is not a treatment for meningococcal infections and is not indicated to prevent complications associated with them. For more information, visit www.meningitis.ca