After meningitis and septicaemia

Meningitis is an alarming disease which can strike in minutes and kill within hours. Its impact can last a lifetime. For those who survive, after-effects and complications can happen with any type of meningitis, but are more common with bacterial meningitis.

Most people know very little about meningitis until they are affected by it, and, for many, the suddenness of the disease and the speed with which it develops is both shocking and overwhelming.

Families can be left bereaved in a matter of hours; survivors can be left fighting for their lives after being ‘healthy’ just hours before. The recovery for every individual, family, or group of people affected is different and we are here to help them all in any way that we can.

Key facts:

• Most people will make a good recovery from meningitis and septicaemia.
• 10% of cases result in death.
• 15% of those who survive meningitis will be left with severe after-effects including brain damage, hearing and sight loss and where septicaemia has occurred, limb loss and scarring.
• Many survivors of meningitis will be left with invisible, but life-changing after-effects, such as memory loss, tiredness, behavioural and emotional problems, depression and piercing headaches.
• Some after-effects are short term, however, some will last a lifetime.

What we can do for you

We specialise in the aftercare and support of people affected by meningitis. Last year we helped 20,000 people through our unique range of free services and community support. We are here for you.

We can:

• Offer free, professional support to anyone affected by meningitis; however and whenever it’s needed.
• Help to ease the burden of meningitis by providing financial support grants. The grants can pay for many items including, but not limited to, specialist equipment, therapy, travel and accommodation costs for hospital visits, funeral expenses and headstones.
• As the leading voice on the impact of meningitis, we can help with any questions or queries on the disease. Our helpline is available 24-hours a day, 365 days of the year. It’s free and staffed by specially trained nurses, so please get in touch.
• Provide free information on meningitis – leaflets, posters, our DVD, or by sending a member of our community team to do a talk or presentation. Raising awareness of the disease now can save lives in the future.

Our vision is for everyone affected by meningitis to have access to support for life, and we are dedicated to ensuring that this vision is fulfilled. As part of our commitment to this, we commissioned a large three year research project, called MOSAIC; looking into the true impact of bacterial meningitis and its after-effects. Final results will be published in December 2010.

Have you been affected by meningitis and need support? If so, we are here to help you. We have a wide range of free, professional support services available to you right now. Simply call one of our nurses (freephone helpline 0808 80 10 388) and they can talk you through everything that we do; from counselling, to a home visit, to financial support grants, art therapy and much, much more. Our support is for life and available to anyone affected by the disease; the individual, their family, friends, colleagues, neighbours and the whole community.

Want to know more about meningitis?

We have a wide range of leaflets, posters and other information materials (including a DVD) that we give out for free. Call our freephone 24-hour nurse-led helpline on 0808 80 10 388 to request these.