ABCM was born in the hearts of Suelen Caroline and her husband, Marcos Glauber. The couple faced the disease when their son, João Marcos, contracted it in 2017.
João is a survivor and the inspiration for this project. Like most of society, his parents had only heard of meningitis vaguely before it struck their son. They didn’t know what it was, its symptoms, different types, or that it could be prevented through vaccines.
They spent more than 100 days in the ICU fighting for their son’s life. João had a 1% chance of surviving, but today, overflowing with joy, faith, and strength, he continually overcomes all the after-effects of meningitis.
After everything they went through, the couple decided to find ways to disseminate information about the disease and help survivors in some way. Sharing ideas with a group of friends, they discovered that no institution with this mission existed in Brazil.
Together, with the same vision and purpose, in 2021 they legally founded ABCM, with the aim of raising awareness about meningitis and its prevention. In addition, they aim to empower people, facilitate access to vaccines, and provide support to both survivors and their families.