Lilian’s story is told by Claytone Musungu, Chair of the CoMO Advisory Council and trustee for Meningitis Research Foundation:
Lilian Karegi, a 40-year-old woman from Vihiga County, Kenya, was expecting her third child in late August 2018 when she began experiencing severe symptoms: fever, intense headaches, sensitivity to light, cold hands and feet, drowsiness, difficulty waking up, and frequent vomiting. These symptoms were initially dismissed as normal due to her pregnancy. Despite being taken to several hospitals, her condition worsened, as the correct diagnosis was never made. Unfortunately, the misdiagnosis meant that her health continued to decline.
After a while, some of her relatives began to believe that witchcraft was the cause of her illness. In an attempt to help, they consulted a local medicine man who applied a tattoo on her forehead, believing it would chase away evil spirits and relieve her of her symptoms. Despite these efforts, Lilian’s condition did not improve, and she tragically passed away on 13th September 2018.
Lilian’s tragic death was one of the many cases that inspired Claytone to co-found the Meningitis Awareness Foundation. Learn more about his motivations in his Meningitis in your words entry here.