My 18-year-old son went to a music festival and described his illness as a hangover – hours later he was dead

More than 10 years ago, young Ollie Towler-Jones set out on his annual Latitude Festival adventure.

But whilst there, the 18-year-old, from Norwich, fell ill very quickly and was airlifted to hospital.

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The teenager, who looked forward to the Suffolk music festival every year, initially passed off his illness as a hangover, having woken up one Saturday morning feeling a little run down after a late night.

After taking some painkillers, the young man decided to try and sleep a little longer in the hope of feeling better in the afternoon.

But within hours, Ollie couldn’t breathe and his legs became numb and blue.

He was flown to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and placed in a coma at 6:30 p.m.

Ollie never woke up.

Just eight hours later, at 8:16 pm on July 19, 2014, the teenager was pronounced dead after all of his organs failed.

It was only after two post-mortem examinations that his family learned he had died from a strain of meningitis called MenW.

Ollie was the only child of Jo Towler and Marc Jones.

Jo, from Norwich, shared her son’s love of live music.

The mother attended the festival in 2014 and has continued to do so over the past decade – despite the pain the revisit causes her.

“Ollie loved Latitude so much, which is why I keep going,” she told the Eastern Daily Press (EDP).

“But it’s very stressful – I always think I saw him in the crowd.”

Since her son’s death, Jo has worked to raise awareness about the serious illness.

GET VACCINATED

She is now encouraging people to get the free meningitis bacteria vaccine – MenACWY – to help others avoid the pain she suffered.

“It’s been 10 years and to this day people still seem to think he died of an overdose, which couldn’t be further from the truth and is very frustrating,” Jo told the local newspaper.

“The day he died was one of the most traumatic of my life.

“It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to lose their child and life has never been the same.”

Speaking for the charity Meningitis nowshe said: “Me and Ollie’s dad are still struggling every day and I’m sure there will be many more days of struggle to come.”

“My message to parents is: please make sure your children are vaccinated.”

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JAB RATES ARE FALLING

The MenACWY vaccine is normally offered in year nine or ten to children aged 13 to 15, but anyone up to the age of 25 can still have it through their GP.

It offers protection against serious infections such as meningitis and septicemia, which can be fatal.

However, vaccine uptake has declined in recent years.

Before the Covid pandemic, uptake of these vaccines was almost 88 percent in England.

But the latest figures show that figure has fallen to 69 per cent for 13-14 year olds in 2021/22.

Adherence among 10th grade students, aged between 14 and 15, was higher, around 78 percent, which shows that more children are catching up on missed vaccinations.

Everything you need to know about meningitis

Meningitis is an uncommon but serious illness that can cause potentially fatal complications and even death.

It is triggered by meningococcal bacteria.

It can affect anyone, but it is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults.

Meningitis can attack the lining of the brain and spinal cord and, in some cases, cause a serious blood infection (sepsis).

The first symptoms of meningitis can sometimes be similar to the flu, but it can progress quickly and be fatal.

Symptoms of meningitis develop suddenly and may include:

• A high temperature (fever) above 37.5°C (99.5°F)
• Be sick
• A headache
• A blotchy rash that doesn’t go away when a glass is rolled over it (this doesn’t always happen)
• A stiff neck
• I don’t like bright lights
• Drowsiness or unresponsiveness
• Convulsions (fits)

These symptoms may appear in any order and some may not appear at all.

When to seek medical help

You should seek medical advice as soon as possible if you are concerned that you or your child may have meningitis.

Trust your instincts and don’t wait until a rash appears.

Call 999 for an ambulance or go to the nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department immediately if you think you or your child may be seriously ill.

Call 111 or your GP for advice if you’re not sure if it’s something serious or if you think you may have been exposed to someone with meningitis.

How meningitis spreads

Meningitis is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Bacterial meningitis is rarer but more serious than viral meningitis.

Infections that cause meningitis can be transmitted through:

• Sneezing
• Cough
• Kissing
• Sharing utensils, cutlery and toothbrushes

Meningitis is usually contracted by people who carry these viruses or bacteria in their nose or throat but are not sick.

It can also be contracted by someone with meningitis, but it is less common.

Vaccinations

Vaccines offer some protection against certain causes of meningitis.

That includes:

• Meningitis B vaccine – offered to babies at 8 weeks, followed by a second dose at 16 weeks and a booster at 1 year
• 6-in-1 vaccine – offered to babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age
• Pneumococcal vaccine – offered to babies at 12 weeks and between 12 and 13 months of age
• Meningitis C vaccine – offered at 12 weeks of age, 1 year
• MMR vaccine – offered to babies at 1 year old and second dose at 3 years and 4 months
• ACWY Meningitis Vaccine – offered to teenagers who are in S3 (around 14 years old) at school. Young people who are in S4-S6 and missed the opportunity to be immunized last year will also be able to get the vaccine at school this year