Norfolk man who lost two brothers to meningitis warns not to let COVID-19 put you off seeking help

Don't let Covid-19 put you off seeking treatment if you're showing signs of meningitis.

That's what a Norwich man who lost his two brothers to meningitis 21 years apart is warning.

Danny Sweatman lost his brothers Joe and Ryan to the disease.

Joe, died in 1991 when he was just seven weeks old.

Danny said:

“I vaguely remember the awful situation where the ambulance was there and I remember Mum and Dad screaming, really quite inconsolable.

“They’d found Joe when he was asleep, whimpering a little bit. They were trying to cuddle him, but he didn’t like being touched, he was being quite lethargic.

“We didn’t really know too much about meningitis at the time, and there wasn’t much conversation around it.

“I remember him going to hospital and the horrendous bit being told he had died.

“It was quite quickly we were told afterwards it was meningitis, but it was obviously very painful for such a long time.”

But in January 2012, Danny’s other younger brother, Ryan, told his university housemates he had a headache, so went to bed, but never woke up.

Ryan died on 5th January – just a week after seeing his family over the Christmas break.

“To happen to any family once is just horrendous, but to happen to us twice, it’s just been unbearable.”

Danny said:

“Ryan was just the most gorgeous brother I could have wished for, my best mate too. He went to Sheffield Hallam University to do a sports coaching degree.

“In the December of 2011, he came back for Christmas and he had flu-like symptoms, but to be fair, I’ve been to university myself and knew it was pretty common.

“No one really thought anything of it. This went on for two or three weeks. He was fully aware of the signs of meningitis.

“On the evening of the January the 5th, he told his housemates he felt ill, and like anyone would, he had a paracetamol and he took himself to bed, and he didn’t wake up in the morning.

“To happen to any family once is just horrendous, but to happen to us twice, it’s just been unbearable.”

Danny has shared his story on Meningitis Awareness Week in hopes of making more people aware of the disease and the dangers it can bring.

The most common symptoms are a fever with cold hands and feet, vomiting or diarrhoea, drowsieness, confusion, severe muscle pain, blotchy skin or a rash and a severe headeache.

Danny is urging people not to let the pandemic put people off from visiting their doctor if they have concerns.

He said:

“What’s really difficult at the moment, is the worries about COVID. There’s this concern about not going to see the GP, not speaking to people or being worred to call 111 because you might block up the phone lines.

“But this is absolutely crucial. If there’s something that isn’t quite right with yourself or with a sibling or child, then you must, must get that advice.

“Meningitis takes over your body so quickly, it’s very scary.”

The family have since continued fighting to raise awareness of the disease and have raised more than £130,000 to fund research.

To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rememberryan