Jimmy Yuill's story
Actor Jimmy recounts the two weeks in 1998 when meningitis nearly took his life, and the subsequent impact on his memory and career.
When I was 18 months old, I had meningococcal septicaemia. I was very lucky to have survived and I know that, so I try to live my life to the fullest.
I have been left with one after effect; hearing. I have partial deafness in my right ear and although it doesn’t affect me too much, I do struggle slightly more than others.
Nine weeks before I got my illness, my little sister, Molly, died from Trisomy 13 so this made my mum extra wary over her other children’s health.
My mum told me once that if Molly did not pass away, she wouldn’t have been as strictly protective over me so she could have possibly missed the signs.
I have always wanted to make a difference in my life because I knew that I was really, really lucky to still be here, and now that I’m old enough to understand how big an effect meningitis has on people’s lives, like it did on mine, I want to be able to help.
I don't want to take advantage of waking up every day, I want to make use of every breath I take.
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