Meningitis is a devastating disease – one in ten people who contract bacterial meningitis will die and many more are left with life changing after effects. The Pixel Fund has supported a ground breaking research project to investigate why some people are more susceptible than others to meningitis by comparing the genetic blueprint of patients with meningococcal disease alongside the genetic blueprint of the particular bacterium that cause their illness.
Alongside funding vital research, a key part of the work of Meningitis Research Foundation is to provide support to families who have survived meningitis and are learning to live with the after effects. In February, we were delighted to welcome twenty-five families from across the UK with children with amputations to our Pushing the Boundaries Day to share their experiences, learn from each other, and hear from experts.
Children and young adults who have amputations as a result of meningitis and septicaemia often face particular complications – such as skin scarring and abnormal bone growth – that do not affect other amputees. Problems like these can make rehabilitation challenging, and Pushing the Boundaries is helping more and more families face those kinds of challenges in the knowledge that they are not alone. It is so valuable for these families to share experiences and advice with others who are on – or have been on – a similar journey, to help combat the feelings of isolation that so many feel.
"The thought that you can walk or roll into a room and no one stares because you are alike in so many ways is something our daughter has never experienced before. To see the true joy on her face while playing with other children who are limbless was breath-taking. That image alone can eclipse some you would rather forget."
On behalf of The Meningitis Research Foundation