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California

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Amy Purdy

South Lake Tahoe, California
Meningococcal Disease Survivor

Amy had a promising career as a massage therapist ahead of her and was active in snowboarding and other outdoor activities when she contracted a serious bacterial infection called meningococcal disease. Amy was a healthy active teenager and never thought she would come so close to losing her life due to a potentially vaccine-preventable disease.

One day during the summer of 1999, at age 19, Amy called her mother to tell her she wasn't feeling well; she had a stiff neck and felt extremely tired. Later that day, Amy began vomiting and became so ill that she had to be rushed to the emergency room by her cousin.

When Amy arrived at the hospital, her condition deteriorated quickly and was soon fighting for her life. Following a blood culture, the doctors diagnosed Amy with meningococcemia, a form of meningococcal disease the causes poisoning of the blood system. Amy's organs began to fail and doctors put her into a medically-induced coma to help her body fight the infection.

Amy's condition slowly began to improve, but she had a long road to recovery ahead of her. She suffered from severe gangrene in her legs and feet and doctors had to amputate both of her legs below the knee. She also lost hearing in her left ear. Finally, the infection caused major organ damage and as a result, she had her kidney and spleen removed. Nearly two years later, Amy received a kidney transplant from her father.

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Jonathan Deguzman

San Diego, California
Meningococcal Disease Survivor

In May 2005, Jonathan Deguzman's world was forever changed when a dangerous and potentially fatal, yet potentially vaccine-preventable bacterial infection, called meningococcal disease or meningitis, nearly took his life.

One afternoon, Jonathan began experiencing chills and figured he had the flu, so he decided to lie down in hopes that getting some rest would help him feel better. From that moment, all he can remember is being woken up by his mother, who had noticed a purplish-black rash on his hands; a common symptom of meningococcal disease. As Jonathan fluctuated in and out of consciousness, his parents rushed him to the hospital.

Jonathan awoke 12 days later from his coma to find that, in order to save his life, doctors were forced to amputate his fingers and both feet as the infection had caused gangrene in his limbs. An avid dancer, Jonathan was faced with the harsh reality that he may never be able to dance again. Unfortunately, it wasn't until after he became sick that he and his parents learned there was a vaccine available that could have potentially prevented him from contracting the disease.

Despite a long recovery and the obstacles he faced as a result of contracting meningococcal disease, Jonathan has continued to engage in the activities he loves most, especially dancing. He is a college student, double majoring in psychology and nursing, and spends much of his free time working with the National Meningitis Association to educate others about the dangers of meningococcal disease and the importance of prevention.

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