Patti Wukovits and Alicia Stillman each lost their young, healthy daughters too soon to Meningitis B, a disease that is now preventable through vaccination. In 2012, high school senior Kimberly, 17, Patti’s daughter, died one week before her graduation. In 2013, college sophomore Emily, 19, Alicia’s daughter, died just 36 hours after her first symptoms.
In 2014, to educate the public about meningococcal meningitis and meningitis vaccination, both mothers established foundations named after their daughters—the Kimberly Coffey Foundation and the Emily Stillman Foundation. In addition to running their Foundations, Patti and Alicia have now joined forces to launch ASMP to make sure other families don’t needlessly suffer the same fate.
ASMP works to empower all people to take action to prevent meningococcal meningitis. Our key focus areas: 1) Patient and parent education: educate adolescents, young adults, and their parents about how to prevent meningitis. 2) Healthcare provider education: mobilize providers to prioritize comprehensive meningitis prevention. 3) Policy advancement: achieve comprehensive national, state, and school meningitis prevention policies. 4) Vaccination equity: improve equitable access to meningitis prevention. 5) Advocacy training: catalyze a national network of meningitis advocates.