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State M.O.M.s
Melody Albrecht
Woodinville, Washington
Mother of Drew, Who Died of Meningococcal Disease
Drew Albrecht
On July 5, Melody Albrecht's son, Drew, came home from football camp practice with a bad headache, which both Melody and her husband thought was due to heat exhaustion. The next day Drew's condition continued to worsen, and he was brought to the hospital. Unable to find anything definitively wrong, the doctors sent Drew home. Within minutes of arriving home, Drew suffered a seizure and had to be rushed back to the hospital where he was placed in a medically induced coma. Less than 24 hours later, Drew was diagnosed as brain dead and passed away. It was then Melody learned that her son had contracted meningococcal disease, a very serious but vaccine-preventable bacterial infection.
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Lori Buher
Mount Vernon, Washington
National Meningitis Association Board Member
Mother of Carl, Who Survived Meningococcal Disease
Carl Buher
Watch Carl's Story
Lori's son, Carl, was a healthy, athletic freshman in high school when he almost lost his life to meningococcal disease. In 2003, Carl came home from a football game complaining that he didn't feel well. Many of Carl's teammates had been sick with the flu, so Carl assumed he had just caught the bug. The next day, he became disoriented and developed purple splotches all over his face and arms. He was rushed to the doctor, where he was diagnosed with meningococcal disease. As a result of the infection, Carl had to undergo amputation of both of his feet and three of his fingers. It was four years before he could walk again. Until Carl got sick, Lori was not aware that adolescents are at increased risk for meningococcal disease or that vaccination could have protected her son.
For more information about prevention and meningococcal vaccination recommendations, click here.
"Now the vaccine seems like a small price to pay," said Lori. "I hope that others will consider vaccination to protect their children from the devastation of meningococcal disease."
> Listen to PSA (mp3)
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