My son, 18, went to a musical festival and wrote his illness off as a hangover – hours later he was dead
MORE than ten years ago, young Ollie Towler-Jones set off on his annual adventure to Latitude Festival.
But while there, the 18-year-old from Norwich fell very ill very quickly and was airlifted to hospital.
The teen, who looked forward to the Suffolk music festival each year, initially passed off his illness for a hangover, having woken up on a Saturday morning feeling a little run down after a late Friday night.
After popping some painkillers, the youngster decided to try and get some extra sleep in the hope he would feel better by the afternoon.
But within hours, Ollie was unable to breathe and his legs had become numb and turned purple.
He was airlifted to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and put into a coma at 6.30pm.
Ollie would never wake up.
Just eight hour later, at 8.16pm on Saturday, July 19, 2014, the young boy was pronounced dead after all his organs failed.
It was not until after two post-mortem examinations that his family learned he had died from a strain of meningitis called MenW.
Ollie was the only child of Jo Towler and Marc Jones.
Jo, from Norwich, shared a love for live music with her son.
The mum attended the festival in 2014 and has continued to do so over the last decade – despite the pain revisiting causes her.
“Ollie loved Latitude so much, which is why I continue to go, but it is very stressful – I always think I have seen him in the crowd,” she told the Eastern Daily Press (EDP).
GET VACCINATED
Since her son’s death, Joe has worked to raise awareness of the serious illness.
She is now urging people to take up the free vaccine against the meningitis bacteria – MenACWY – to help others avoid the pain she has suffered.
“It has been 10 years and to this day people still seem to think he died of an overdose, which could not be further from the truth and is so frustrating,” Jo told the local paper.
“The day he died was one of the most traumatic of my life – it is every parent’s worst nightmare to lose their child and life has never been the same,” she added.
Speaking to the charity Meningitis Now, she said: “Myself and Ollie’s dad are still finding every day a struggle and I am sure there are going to be many more days of struggle to come.”
“My message to parents is please ensure you get your children vaccinated.”
VACCINE RATES FALLING
MenACWY is typically offered in year 9 or 10 to children aged 13-15, but anyone up to the age of 25 can still get it through their GP.
It offers protection against serious infections like meningitis and septicaemia, which can be deadly.
However, uptake of the vaccine has fallen in recent years.
Before the Covid pandemic, uptake for these vaccines was nearly 88 per cent in England, but the latest figures show that dipped to 69 per cent for 13 to 14-year-olds in 2021-22.
Uptake among Year 10 school pupils, who are aged 14 to 15, was higher at about 78 per cent which shows more children are catching up on missed jabs.
Everything you need to know about meningitis
Meningitis, is an uncommon but serious illness that can cause life-threatening complications and even death.
It is triggered by the meningococcal bacteria.
It can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults.
Meningitis can attack the lining of the brain and spinal cord and, in some cases, cause a serious blood infection (sepsis).
Early symptoms of meningitis can sometimes be similar to those of the flu, but they can progress quickly and can be fatal.
Symptoms of meningitis develop suddenly and can include:
- A high temperature (fever) over 37.5C (99.5F)
- Being sick
- A headache
- A blotchy rash that doesn’t fade when a glass is rolled over it (this won’t always develop)
- A stiff neck
- A dislike of bright lights
- Drowsiness or unresponsiveness
- Seizures (fits)
These symptoms can appear in any order and some may not appear.
When to get medical help
You should get medical advice as soon as possible if you’re concerned that you or your child could have meningitis.
Trust your instincts, and don’t wait until a rash develops.
Phone 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department immediately if you think you or your child might be seriously ill.
Phone 111 or your GP practice for advice if you’re not sure if it’s anything serious or you think you may have been exposed to someone with meningitis.
How meningitis is spread
Meningitis is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Bacterial meningitis is rarer but more serious than viral meningitis.
Infections that cause meningitis can be spread through:
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Kissing
- Sharing utensils, cutlery and toothbrushes
Meningitis is usually caught from people who carry these viruses or bacteria in their nose or throat but aren’t ill themselves.
It can also be caught from someone with meningitis, but this is less common.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations offer some protection against certain causes of meningitis.
These include the:
- Meningitis B vaccine – offered to babies aged 8 weeks, followed by a second dose at 16 weeks, and a booster at 1 year
- 6-in-1 vaccine – offered to babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age
- Pneumococcal vaccine – offered to babies at 12 weeks and between 12 and 13 months old
- Meningitis C vaccine – offered at 12 weeks of age, 1 year
- MMR vaccine – offered to babies at 1 year and a second dose at 3 years and 4 months
- Meningitis ACWY vaccine – offered to teenagers who are in S3 (around 14 years of age) at school. Young people who are in S4-S6 and missed the opportunity to get immunised last year, may also get the vaccine at school this year