Meningitis in your words: Nwandieze's story

My name is Nwandieze Fortune Onyedikachi, and I am a 39-year-old survivor of cerebrospinal meningitis. My encounter with this life-threatening disease began when I was 12 years old, living in Federal Low-Cost Housing Estate, Badagry, Lagos State, Nigeria.

What initially seemed like a common illness began with a persistent headache. Within a few days, I developed a dangerously high fever accompanied by chills, prompting the assumption that I had contracted malaria—a common diagnosis at the time. However, despite receiving treatment for malaria, my condition did not improve. 

Soon after, I experienced severe neck stiffness, which was misattributed to poor sleeping posture. By the fifth day, my symptoms had escalated rapidly and alarmingly. I began suffering from intense hallucinations, sensory distortions that terrified me and my family. My condition deteriorated further, and I experienced profuse sweating, debilitating tremors, insomnia, and disorientation. I developed chronic photophobia, which made me hypersensitive to light, and persistent vomiting, alongside unbearable muscle pain. At this advanced stage, my illness had evolved into a critical medical emergency.

Early one Saturday morning, my parents rushed me to The Great Physician Hospital in Badagry, where Dr. Akinlade, the then Chief Medical Director, examined me. He swiftly diagnosed me with spinal cerebrospinal meningitis. To our knowledge, mine was the first case in Badagry and potentially one of the earliest documented cases in Lagos State at the time.

I wasn’t the only patient diagnosed that day. I was placed in isolation alongside a girl named Chineme, who was battling the same illness. We underwent rigorous treatment that lasted for nearly two weeks. Throughout this period, doctors conducted continuous physical and mental assessments, carefully monitoring our progress. While we both survived the ordeal, Chineme unfortunately lost her ability to hear. She was later provided with hearing aids, which allowed her to regain some level of auditory function. Her hearing loss underscored the severity of meningitis and its capacity to cause life-altering after-effects, even for those who survive.

Following our cases, an urgent public health campaign was launched across Badagry and Lagos State. Meningitis was declared an epidemic, and vaccination drives were swiftly organized to combat its spread. This campaign undoubtedly saved countless lives in the late 1990s and highlighted the importance of proactive healthcare interventions.

Meningitis is an airborne disease that can leave survivors with long-term disabilities such as blindness, deafness, and cognitive impairments. I am deeply grateful to have emerged from the experience without any of these after-effects. My survival was not just a testament to medical intervention but also, I believe, a testament to divine grace.

By sharing my story, I hope to raise awareness about the critical importance of early diagnosis and vaccination. Meningitis remains a formidable public health challenge, but with timely intervention and proper care, more lives can be saved, and more survivors can live without debilitating consequences.

 

 

In collaboration

This article is published in collaboration with the Meningitis Research Foundation.

Original article

Meningitis in your words

Meningitis in your words is a digital library of stories, hosted by Meningitis Research Foundation, from people around the world who have experienced the life-changing impacts of meningitis. Their goal is to reach 2,030 stories in support of the World Health Organization’s goal to defeat meningitis by 2030, making this the world’s largest digital collection of first-person meningitis experiences.

Survivors, partners, parents, carers, friends, heath workers – everyone has a story to tell. Each one is unique, personal and has something to offer. Whether it’s compassion, encouragement, optimism or despair, sharing helps others who have experienced the impact of meningitis, letting them know that they are never alone.

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