‘I was as close to death as you can be’ – Paralympian on meningitis diagnosis

A Paralympic gold medallist has described how he was “as close to death” as a person can be after contracting meningitis.

Wheelchair rugby player Aaron Phipps said his experience was “absolutely horrendous” and “can happen to anyone” as he urged teenagers and young adults to ensure they are vaccinated against the potentially deadly disease.

Phipps had both legs and most of his fingers amputated after contracting meningitis when he was 15.

On January 7 1999 he woke up with flu-like symptoms, and some 12 hours later he was on a life support machine after he developed blood poisoning.

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He was put into an induced coma for two weeks.

The illness meant that he had to have both legs amputated from the knee down, along with most of his fingers.

He spent a year in hospital recovering and receiving treatment.

Now the father-of-two is backing an NHS campaign calling for students and young people to get vaccinated against the disease, warning them they they should “not think it will never happen to them”.

“It was first day back to school after the Christmas holidays, I got home from school and I didn’t feel great”, he told the PA news agency.

“I had a temperature and got into bed. The next morning I got up and collapsed on the landing.

“Mum saw a rash appearing on my chest and vaguely knew the symptoms of meningitis so she did the glass test and called out an ambulance.”

Phipps added: “I had acute respiratory and renal failure – so everything shut down except for my heart.

“I was pretty much as close to death as anyone could be. I was right on that limit.

“I was in intensive care. I was in an induced coma for two weeks while my parents thought I was probably going to die.

“Your body is very clever at keeping you alive, so my body sent my blood to my vital organs and I didn’t get enough blood to my extremities like my hands and the ends of my legs.

“At first, they told me I might have to have the tips my fingers and my toes amputated, and then they broke the news to me that it was going to have to be my feet as well.

“I’ve got both legs amputated below the knee, and I was in hospital for a year.”

He went on: “The thing with meningitis is that it just presents itself like any other illness.

“That’s why I’m so passionate about this, because it’s horrendous. It’s such a horrendous illness, and it can happen to anyone.”

Phipps continued: “The vaccine came out the year after I was poorly, so I never had the opportunity to have it.

“To think that people aren’t vaccinating their children against this, knowing what happened to me … but what I went through for that year, I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. It was absolutely horrendous.

“You cannot underestimate the importance of getting protected against meningitis – so don’t put it off, get a vaccine appointment booked for you or your family today.”

Health officials say that universities and other higher education institutions can be hot spots for infections such as measles, mumps and meningococcal disease thanks to lots of people newly coming together in confined environments and close mixing.

Cases typically surge at the start of an academic year and can remain high until March.

However, the latest NHS figures show more than one in 10 children in England had not received all the recommended MenB vaccinations by two years of age.

And data shows that more than a quarter of teenagers had not received the MenACWY vaccine.

Phipps said his illness gave him “drive that he had never had before” and he started doing wheelchair races – including two London marathons – before he was headhunted to join the GB wheelchair rugby team.

He made his Paralympics debut in the London 2012 Paralympic Games, where GB wheelchair rugby came in fifth place.

By 2021, he helped the team secure gold at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

During the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the team missed out on a medal after losing to Australia in the bronze medal match.

As well as his achievements in wheelchair rugby, Phipps also became the first disabled person to scale Mount Kilimanjaro unassisted in 2016 while raising funds for the Meningitis Research Foundation.

Phipps was made an MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours list for services to sport.

Steve Russell, NHS England’s national director for vaccinations and screening, said: “Too many children and young people are still not fully vaccinated against meningitis.

“Aaron speaks powerfully about his own personal experience of meningitis and is right to say you cannot underestimate the importance of protecting you and your child against this highly dangerous disease, for which vaccinations are our best defences.

“Jabs are offered for free as part of the NHS routine immunisation programme and I advise all parents to urgently check their child’s vaccination records and contact your GP practice if you’d like to arrange a vaccination appointment today.”

Vinny Smith, chief executive of Meningitis Research Foundation, added: “Meningitis is a medical emergency. It is a devastating and debilitating infection that can kill within hours and is easy to mistake for more common, milder illnesses in the early stages.

“Prevention is the best form of protection, so we’d encourage everyone to check that they are up to date with the vaccinations that protect against meningitis, including the most serious strains of bacterial meningitis.”

Health minister Andrew Gwynne said: “The disease spreads quickly in places like universities and schools, which is why I’m urging parents and young adults to speak to their GP if they’re not sure whether their child’s vaccinations, or their own, are up to date.”

– For more information on treatment and vaccination options for meningitis visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/.