Survivor Stories

Survivor Stories

Here is where you can send your story about your experience related to meningitis. Send us your story to fund@meningitis.ca and we will review it and post it on this page.

Some of the people here have suffered through meningitis without any after effects. Others still carry its scars. But they all survived and their stories may inspire others to endure or their families to hope.

Denise Ganier

Mom made Denise go to school on Monday, in spite of her sore throat. It was June, near the end of the school year, every day was important, and she had a presentation to make. However, by 4 a.m. on…

Leylah

Leyah had a cold, not unusual for a two-year-old. Two days later she had symptoms of meningitis but the hospital suspected pneumonia. Fiona felt it was more and was persistent. Her instincts were…

Helen Smith

Hi, I’m Helen Smith, I’m 25 years old, born and bred in Cambridge, UK, and that’s where I live now with my parents. I went to Bath University and graduated in 1997 in Molecular and…

Cathy Fergus

It was in January of 2010 while on holidays in Cuba that I became ill with bacterial meningitis. I remember feeling lousy like heat stroke or too much rum.

Eric

When I was 15 years old I got a really bad headache and began to feel really sick. I layed on the couch all day and my mom treated me for flu symptoms. I was getting worse and by the middle of the…

Hillary Vanasse

When I was 8 years old I left school on a Friday with a headache and fatigue. I became increasingly sick throughout the night (severe vomiting, fever) and could not sleep or even keep water down…

Ashley

Ashley’s father, Dan, tells her story.

Allison

My story starts a year ago, one evening I went to the hospital with a horrible headache and blurred vision. It was written off as a migraine.

Katelyn

On July 31 we were very happy parents of a very healthy 7 lbs 12 oz baby girl.

Gail Mills

My story begins in May of 1996 when I contracted viral meningitis.

Caroline Bertin

My name is Caroline Bertin. I don’t remember my story that well even if it was just two years ago.

Donna Stafford

Good day. At the age of 2, I was rushed to the Montreal Children’s Hospital with a very high fever and vomiting.

Derek and Steven Oliver

Derek and Steven’s mother, Judy, tells their stories.

Trevor Dawson

Trevor’s mother, Holly, tells his story.

Trevor

This story is about my 19-year-old “baby brother”.

Michelle Barry

Hi, my name is Michelle Barry. I am 15 years old and I live in the United States.

Adrienne Lynn Cromwell

Hi there, my name is Adrienne Cromwell from Weymouth, N.S. I was born with meningitis.

Charysma

Charysma’s mother, Wendy, tells Charysma’s story.

Laura

My name is Laura and I’m 22 years old. I contracted meningitis my first year of college in April of 2004.

Nola

In October 1996, at the age of 43, I contracted meningitis following insertion of a lumbar peritoneal shunt.

Ryan Kohler

I contracted bacterial meningitis my freshman year in college.

Justin

I am a nine-year-old special needs child diagnosed with multiple disabilities.

Trevor Dale

Trevor’s mother, Jessica, tells his story.

Lucy

I was diagnosed with meningococcal septicaemia four years ago, when I was 13.

Karoline

On Victoria Day, May 23, 2005 I awoke with a slight sore throat and felt a little tired. I dismissed it as the result of a busy week getting ready for my son’s church confirmation, while my…

Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn’s parents, Jeff and Lisa, tell Kaitlyn’s story.

Jennifer

I’ve thought about writing my story for a long time now, and I have always decided it wasn’t for anyone else to hear. Now I feel I want it read for my own reasons, mainly closure and to…

Darren Elmore

In the spring of 1992, I was attending Ryerson University in Toronto and living alone in a basement apartment in East York. Living away from my family in the Maritimes for the first time, struggling…

Pierre-Philippe Coupard

I just visited your site for the first time. I thought I could contribute my story of how I came in contact with meningitis a long time ago.

Brenda

Brenda’s sister, Patricia, tells Brenda’s story. I am Brenda’s elder sister.

Kayleigh

My name is Kayleigh and I am a 16-year-old from Ontario!

Ryan Pederson

Ryan’s mother, Nicole, tells Ryan’s story.

Caden

Caden’s mother tells his story.

Dana

My name is Dana. I am a 25-year-old African-American female. I was diagnosed with viral meningitis on November 23, 2004.

Melissa’s Dad

Melissa tells her dad’s story.

Taylor Lynn

Taylor’s mother tells her story.

Zachary

Zachary’s mother tells his story.

Sandra Stuart

I am now 30 years old. I contracted Neisseria meningitis when I was about 3 years old.

Maxi

Maxi’s parent tells his story.

Sonia Lemieux

I am 24 years old. It’s been 18 years since I spent two weeks in CHEO (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario).

Ernest

Ernest’s brother tells Ernest’s story.

Tara

Tara’s sister, Tiffany, tells Tara’s story.

Sherry

Sherry’s sister tells Sherry’s story.

Tianna

Tianna’s mom tells her story.

Gaynor

Hi! My name is Gaynor Baker. I was born in Cardiff, Wales, UK. I had meningitis when I was 18 months old.

Nicholas Ben Diaz

Nicholas’ sister tells Nicholas’ story.

Avery

Avery’s mother tells her story.

Eric

Eric’s mother, Donna, tells Eric’s story.

Victoria

Victoria’s parents tell her story.

Alexis

Alexis’ parents tell her story.

Andrea Thickett

Hello, my name is Andrea Thickett. I’m here to tell you my story about having meningococcal meningitis.

Jen Johnston

I woke up in a start — hands strapped down, blurred vision, and unable to speak. I looked up — it was the same fuzzy room I had been dreaming about overnight. Or maybe I hadn’t been dreaming at all…

Matthew

On October 11, 2002, my 5-year-old son Matthew fell ill.

Van Tran

Van’s daughter, Vivien, tells her story.

Evan: My Young Warrior

It has been five years since I learned about meningitis — when we almost lost our then fourteen-month-old. I am writing this to help me deal with the grief I feel when I remember.

Sara

Sara was 18 years old at the time. She had started to feel extremely sick and felt like she was paralyzed.

Nicolitsa Marangos

I wanted to share my mother’s harrowing battle and survival after contracting bacterial meningitis at the age of 79. On October 1, 2023, life as we knew it changed in a blink of an eye. My mother was…

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