Holme Wood woman calls for people to check for tell-tale symptoms

7:50am Monday 13th December 2010

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The mother of a 27-year-old Bradford City fan whose life was cut short by meningitis has backed a campaign to raise awareness of tell-tale signs of the disease.

Susan Dimmock, of Holme Wood, whose son Shaun died suddenly four years ago after an ear infection developed into pneumococcal meningitis, says it is important for people to learn all the symptoms of the illness.

she is supporting the Meningitis Trust’s Don’t Wait for a Rash appeal, which claims up to 34 million adults in the UK are risking death by wrongly believing the main symptom of the disease to be a rash, which may be one of the last to appear.

Mrs Dimmock said: “It’s important people learn all the symptoms and seek medical help as soon as possible. Don’t mess about. The sooner you get medical help, there’s more chance you can survive. unfortunately for Shaun it was too late.

“There’s so many different forms of it. People don’t always have a rash. Shaun’s started off as an ear infection. he was 27 and when there are campaigns it’s always around babies and young children but it’s amazing how many teenagers and adults are not aware they could catch the disease as well.”

Mr Dimmock, who worked for FCC Ltd in Keighley making office furniture and never missed a City match, left wife Clare and son Luke, now five.

Family and friends last month raised £536 for the Trust by bag packing at Asda in Dudley Hill and Mrs Dimmock has visited schools and play groups in Bradford to hand out cards displaying the symptoms of meningitis.

“We want to try and stop somebody going through what we went through,” she said.

According to the Trust, meningitis can start with ‘flu like’ symptoms. Others include fever with cold hands and feet, drowsiness, confusion, pale blotchy skin, stiff neck, dislike of bright lights and seizures.

Sue Davie, the charity’s chief executive, said: “By thinking meningitis is just a rash, people are dying.”

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