MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE GIVES NO SECOND CHANCE

" THERE IS NO ROOM FOR ERROR "

"I've seen cases where someone has been well at breakfast – and dead by dinner!"
Dr. Clayton Golledge, microbiologist and infectious diseases expert

There is a side to meningococcal disease that the public does not see. The 20% of people who survive but do not walk away unscathed. We hear of the worst cases when both arms and legs have to be amputated to save a life but even then it is not over. Especially if you are a young child, it's never over.

Miss Cassy Brown

Cassy is the most fortunate of children for her mother had been warned about meningococcal disease by a girlfriend who was a nurse. Fortunately for Cassy, her mother Donna shared this information with her mother and it was this fact that not only saved Cassy's life at the age of 15 months, but helped to lessen the physical damage.

Cassy is now in her fifth year of recovery. When she first contracted meningococcal disease she was walking and running around like any normal toddler, then overnight her world was turned upside down.

December 1998

7.40am Sunday morning Cassy arrives at hospital, is immediately diagnosed with meningococcal disease, and is given antibiotic treatment. Despite the antibiotics, Cassy's condition was deteriorating and the doctors explained that it would be best to place her in an induced coma and place her on a respirator, to help conserve her energy so she could fight the disease with a little more strength.

On Monday, doctors advised that Cassy would lose her fingers and still only have a 50% chance of survival.

Seven days later Cassy was woken from her coma, and eleven days later she was able to return home. Cassy's finger loss was to be the least of this little girl's worries.

March 1999

In March 1999 Cassy started to crawl again and in the following May she began to walk again. At this time it was discovered that Cassy had a major problem with her left leg. The growth plates had been badly damaged and as a result her leg was not growing as long as her right.

Cassy has had the first of many operations six months later, when a three ring metal frame with rods going into her bone was attached. Cassy's mum has to screw the indicated spots every 12 hours ( six hours on the other) to straighten and lengthen the bone.

While this is happening Cassy must attend the Children's Hospital at Randwick every week for the doctors to x-ray and check the progress of her leg.

Cassy will undergo this procedure every 3 years until she stops growing.

In the meantime Cassy is now wearing two permanent splints on both legs.

February 2004

In February 2004, it was discovered the growth plates have also collapsed on her right leg Cassy was expected to face surgery to both legs next November, however due to further deterioration the surgery will be brought forward to July 2004.

The nightmare roller coaster ride starts all over again.

REMEMBER

EACH TIME CASSY UNDERGOES THESE PROCEDURES SHE LOSES THE ABILITY TO WALK AND MUST LEARN ALL OVER AGAIN.

THIS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL SHE FINISHES GROWING.

ANOTHER 12 YEARS.

Cassy is SIX years old

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