When I was 17, my 15-year-old brother had a sore throat. He went to school as usual, but he felt unwell with a headache, so he went home. His mate came round later that night and knocked on the door, saying there was a party. Our Ste popped his head out of the window and said, “I've been sick, I'm not coming”.
I was babysitting that night, but he was lying on the couch and I made him a drink before I left. My dad was at work. I didn't get home till the early hours, but he came into my bedroom and took my sunglasses. The next minute, he was having a fit on his bed. I went to him and said, " it's ok, I'm here,” whilst hugging him.
I rang the ambulance and he was taken to the hospital. He spent eleven days in intensive care because he stopped breathing on the way to the hospital. Sadly, it was not a good outcome. After two brain stem tests, it was confirmed that he was not here anymore. So he died on Valentine's Day of 1990.
![]()
It's a very quick onset. The sooner you act, the better the outcome could be. Sadly, in 1990, it was unheard of.
Get your kids vaccinated. My kids didn't even know their uncle, but they have all raised money for research because they know how much it affected me.