Do not ignore meningitis symptoms, amputee says

A teenager who lost parts of all four limbs to sepsis after developing meningitis has urged anyone eligible to get vaccinated following the recent outbreak in Kent.

Two people have died, with the number of confirmed and suspected cases now at 20 – six of which are known to be Meningitis B (MenB), a bacterial form of the disease most likely to affect young children and young adults.

While a vaccine is not currently given to all age groups, a targeted vaccine programme is under way for 5,000 students at the University of Kent.

Hamish Wilson, who in October 2024 fell ill with meningitis which developed into sepsis, called for everyone to get vaccinated, adding: "Why wouldn't you? It's a good preventative."

Wilson, from Crowborough, East Sussex, was three weeks into his first year at the University of Southampton when he contracted the illness, which saw him lose both legs, a hand and the fingers of his remaining hand.

Urging greater awareness of the symptoms of meningitis, he admitted to previously knowing little about the infection.

"They can put the posters up, but it doesn't mean people are going to read them," he said.

Asked to advise others, the 19-year-old stressed the importance of taking any suspected symptoms seriously.

"I don't think people should be brushing stuff off. That's what I did," Wilson added.

His friend Toby Keary, who was with Wilson on the day he fell ill, said: "I think awareness of the symptoms of meningitis are a very big thing, because a lot of them are similar to fever."

Wilson, a philosophy student, said: "Nothing's going to change if I'm moody about it, you might as well get on with stuff. I think it's made me more resilient."

Keary said he was impressed by how his friend had bounced back.

"I was in the ICU with him, he had about five machines there running, making him live. It's nuts," he said.

Having undergone the last of his operations in December, Wilson is in the process of getting his first prosthetic hand.

He added: "I'm not sure when that will be. I'm hoping that even having a simple grabbing function will improve quality of life quite a bit."

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