Brian Gomani's story

Ruth Gomani (30) from Mwangata village in Blantyre, Malawi tells Aspire about when her 6 month old son Brian became ill in December 2014.

When Brian was one week old in December 2014 he suffered from pneumonia, while at home he just stopped breast feeding so I walked to Zingwangwa Health clinic and they referred us to QECH. 

When we arrived he was weighed and they checked his temperature and we were told to go into another room where there was another nurse who saw that Brian was not breathing very well so he was put on oxygen right away. They collected a blood sample and we waited for the doctor to come and examine him. He was then given injections and was transferred to a ward where he continued with the oxygen and injections and was kept in the hospital for two weeks. The doctors thought it was pneumonia or malaria but he tested negative for malaria.

After being discharged we were asked to take him back for a check up on 7th January and to get the results from the lumber puncture and blood samples that were taken from him when he was first admitted. They told me that Brian had meningitis and he was admitted again for further treatment. 

I have three other children at home, the oldest is 11 years, one is six years old then the other one is two years two months and my husband stayed at home both times to look after them whilst I was in hospital with Brian. 

When Brian was four months I noticed that he could not see as he could not follow any objects that were put in from of him so we went back to the doctors but they cannot say yet whether Brian can see or not until he is about seven months old. This could be an after effect of the disease.

I hope that Brian’s future is going to be good because he is still young and the sickness will go away and he will be able to see. Even though Brian has had meningitis I don’t think I would be able to spot the signs again.

Ruth Gomani
October 2015