Meningitis in your words

Jeremy Carl Loy's story

  • Location: England
  • Categories: Meningococcal
  • Age: Young Adult 20-25
  • Relationship: Parent
  • Outcome: Bereavement
Jeremy Carl Loy

October 13, 2010 at 11.45am, Jeremy texted me stating that he had flu like symptoms, shivering, nausea, vomiting, overall body aches, and that he couldn't keep any food or drink in his stomach. I made him chicken soup at 4.30pm thinking this would at least help him feel better. He wandered off to bed at 9pm with the same conditions.

At 1am I got up to check on him. He was telling me he got sick again after trying to eat, and he was tired, so he went to bed again. 

"Little did I know that would be the last time I was to touch him alive"

At 1.30am he woke me up complaining of tingling hands, and that they were changing colour. I had noticed the discoloration of his entire body. He stumbled to the garage, and collapsed. I helped him up, noticing how strong he was for being so fatigued, and helped him into the van to get him to Emergency. Little did I know that would be the last time I was to touch him alive, as his heart stopped on the way to the hospital.

Yelling for help to get him into the hospital, they tried to revive him. After 45 minutes they announced there was no heart beat of his own and he was gone. My first born loving son was GONE!

As I hugged him forever, and for the very last time, I couldn't believe this had happened to us. Why him? He was healthy, smiling, warm-hearted, caring, and he is MY SON....not me, not him, he is only 22 years old. What about his brother, he can’t leave him. There is so much he hasn't yet done..... This is NOT fair...he was not SICK, just the flu. Fourteen hours from flu to gone??? No warning signs, no nothing..... We miss him so much and would do ANYTHING to have him home again!!! No time to ‘prepare’ for this, and no telling that his brother and I will ever be the same without him. Luv U Bud!! Xoxo

Vicki Kleinsteuber Loy
November 2010