Meningococcal survivor’s recovery journey and warning ahead of peak season
A 23-year-old Central Coast apprentice who spent hundreds of days in hospital with meningococcal disease has shared his story of recovery and a warning for those who may think a rash is the only symptom.
NSW
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As the peak season for meningococcal cases arrives, new research has revealed nearly half of young people are unable to name a single symptom of the potentially deadly disease.
Central Coast apprentice Jacob Blackwell was forced to relearn his bodily functions, from blinking to making saliva, and spent 230 days in hospital, after his mother Chelsea found him unconscious on his floor in August 2023.
The 23-year-old believed he simply had the flu.
He felt “really lethargic” to the point where he “couldn’t move”, then a headache came on as he went to bed, before Mr Blackwell said he “almost fell into a state of delirium”.
While the most commonly known symptom of the disease is a rash of red or purple spots, it can often be one of the last to appear.
“If you had asked me two years ago about meningococcal, I instantly would have thought of a baby that got a rash and maybe had flu-like symptoms,” Mrs Blackwell said.
“I never thought about meningococcal for Jacob at his age and Jacob actually never had a rash,” she said.
A recent study by health researcher RSK found 48 per cent of young adults can’t name a single symptom of meningococcal disease, nor could one in every four parents.
When Mrs Blackwell found her son unresponsive on the floor of his share house bedroom, he was in a dire condition having been in the state for as long as ten hours.
“He was in complete kidney liver failure, heart failure and had very, very little chance of survival,” she said.
Mr Blackwell was studying landscaping and horticulture at the time, with his recovery being a long road for his entire family.
He said playing sport is what he has missed most, as “it was my life”.
“I was playing soccer but honestly anything that revolved around a ball, I just fell in love with,” he said.
Mrs Blackwell is adamant her son will get back on the pitch, as “the progress he’s made in these two years is absolutely remarkable”.
“I’ve got no doubt that he’ll be just as active and be able to throw and kick a ball,” she said.
“It’s just things look a little bit different than what they did.”
Meningococcal can be spread through droplets from the nose or throat, with the risk of infection increased by coughing, sneezing, kissing or living in close quarters.
Mrs Blackwell was adamant to “get the awareness out there that if your friend maybe is acting a little bit strange just don’t assume maybe they’ve had a big night drinking”.
“Think about how maybe it could be something, keep an eye on them and if it doesn’t get better, phone an ambulance,” she said.
Originally published as Meningococcal survivor’s recovery journey and warning ahead of peak season
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