Jackie Ennis' story

I was 23 when I had meningitis. I was also seven months pregnant with my second child.

One evening I had the most horrendous stiff neck and bad headache. I woke in the night vomiting dark brown liquid and felt awful. As the next day rolled round I felt worse and was still bringing up this vile liquid. 

Later that afternoon I couldn’t lift my head and had a pain in my leg. I pulled back the sheet and my leg was enormous. I deteriorated to the point where I couldn’t speak properly and then became unconscious.

There was an ambulance strike at the time, so I was taken in an army ambulance - obviously I have no recollection of this. The rest is only what I have been told as I have no memory of it. 

I was put in isolation and the hospital called my mother to tell her I had a 50/50 chance of survival. I went into labour after a lumbar puncture and spent 10 days in hospital. I had meningitis and septicaemia. 

I went home with my new baby but have no memory of any of his life until he was almost 3. I suffer still with all sorts of side effects to this day: headaches, dizziness, joint pain and fatigue, IBS and depression. Some days it’s hard to do anything. On the upside my son is 25 now and healthy.

Jackie Ennis
January 2015