World Meningitis Awareness Day: Parents raise awareness of meningitis symptoms in memory of their baby boy
4 October 2024
Parents of a baby boy who tragically died of meningitis at just nine-months-old are now urging other parents to be more aware of the symptoms of the disease.
Lucas Munslow, from Flint, died on May 18 2019 leaving his parents, Nathan and Kim Munslow, devastated.
It wasn’t until Lucas’ autopsy that it was discovered he had died from meningitis, this left his parents shocked as he had not developed a rash, the most well-known symptom of the disease.
His mum, Kim said: “Lucas was such a happy baby, he was always smiling and brought brightness to everyone’s lives around him.
“The day before we lost Lucas he wasn’t his normal smiley self, he had a temperature and was vomiting. We took him to our GP who said he had a viral infection but later that day his behaviour became more concerning, he wasn’t eating and really lethargic.
“At the time I thought it would take a couple of days for him to get back to his normal self, but sadly he didn’t.”
The following day baby Lucas deteriorated, he suddenly became stiff in his mother’s arms, suffered several seizures and was rushed to hospital where he sadly passed away.
To mark this year’s World Meningitis Day, Kim and Nathan are sharing Lucas’ story in a bid to prevent other families suffering the same devastating loss as they did and to help other parents identify symptoms early.
“We were so shocked when we were told Lucas had meningitis, we always thought a rash was the key symptom to look out for which he never had so it never crossed our minds. If we had have known more about the other symptoms linked to meningitis we would have pushed for more tests.
“What we want now from Lucas’ death is to help raise awareness of the lesser-known symptoms, and if what happened to Lucas can help even one family avoid the trauma we have gone through then that would bring great comfort to us and that Lucas didn’t die in vain,” added Kim.
Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. It can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults.
Symptoms of meningitis can develop suddenly and can include:
- a high temperature
- being sick
- a headache
- a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (but a rash will not always develop)
- a stiff neck
- a dislike of bright lights
- drowsiness or unresponsivenesss
- seizures (fits)
Dr Pete Williams, Consultant in Emergency & Paediatric Emergency Medicine at Ysbyty Gwynedd, said: “Losing a child is every parent’s worst nightmare and it is extremely brave for Nathan and Kim to relive what they went through to help others.
“Even though over the last 20 years we have seen a huge decrease in deaths linked to meningitis in the UK, mainly down to the successful vaccination programme, the disease is still around and can be deadly so everyone still needs to be aware of all the symptoms.
“I would always say to parents to trust your instincts, do not wait for all the symptoms to appear or until a rash develops. Someone with meningitis can get very sick and deteriorate very quickly.
“Parents know their children best, they know if they are behaving differently to how they normally would and if they continue to have concerns after receiving medical advice there is nothing wrong with asking for a second opinion.”
Nathan and Kim now hope to continue to raise awareness around meningitis in Lucas’ memory with Kim also planning a sponsored skydive in aid of Meningitis Research Foundation.
Kim and Nathan have recently met with the Health Board’s Chief Executive Carol Shillabeer to share their experience and to discuss ways they and the organisation can work together to raise more awareness around meningitis.
Kim added: “My message to other parents is do not wait for a rash, if your child is unwell and displaying any symptoms relating to meningitis, act immediately, and always trust your instincts, even in the face of reassurances from doctors, if you fear something is wrong.”