LUCAS Martin died just a few days after he began feeling unwell with what his family assumed was ‘freshers’ flu’.
The 21-year-old developed a bad headache and fever in September 2023.
Lucas Martin died on September 12, 2023, aged 21[/caption]
Lucas had just graduated from the University of Liverpool[/caption]
His family put down these symptoms to ‘fresher’s flu’, a term used to describe a host of illnesses that strike down students during the first few weeks of a new university year.
But he died less than a week later, on September 12, 2023.
The 21-year-old had developed meningitis, a serious infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.
It causes flu-like symptoms, as well as a headache, stiff neck, dislike of bright lights and sometimes a rash that doesn’t fade when a glass is rolled over it.
Meningitis can affect anyone, but teenagers and young people are more likely to carry the bacteria that causes meningitis in the back of their throats.
First year university students are also particularly at risk for the life-threatening infection, as they come together from all over the country and live in cramped halls or flats.
Lucas’ brother Connor, 29, is now raising awareness around meningitis.
Connor, a software engineer, said: “He had no distinct signs of any illness.
“He became poorly a week or so before he was admitted to hospital and we all thought it was the equivalent of freshers flu.
“He was up in his room a lot of the time and we weren’t monitoring him on a super close basis unfortunately.
“We and he just assumed he had a bad bout of the flu.
“He would go up and down and we’d think he was on the mend and then he’d regress again, but never to a point where we were seriously concerned.
“There’s a set list of symptoms with meningitis and he didn’t have the rash or an aversion to light – the rest are typical flu symptoms.”
Lucas had just graduated from the University of Liverpool in international business and Connor has questioned whether his hard-working attitude triggered an initial viral infection.
Lucas got a headache and fever, which his family put down to fresher’s flu[/caption]
Lucas with his brothers Connor and Bradley[/caption]
Lucas with his parents[/caption]
After five days of feeling unwell, Lucas’ dad, Brett, called him – and heard his son “mumbling and not making sense”.
Lucas had stayed on their Isle of Man home, insisting he was fine, while Connor had returned to his house in Birmingham and his mum and dad were visiting his other brother, Bradley, in Edinburgh.
Lucas’ uncle went to check on him and found him in an “awful state”, so the rest of the family raced home.
Lucas was then blue-lighted to hospital where he was diagnosed with meningitis and put in an induced coma.
What is meningitis?
It can be mistaken as the flu or even a hangover – but knowing the symptoms of potentially deadly meningitis could save your life.
It is the inflammation of the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord and can be caused by meningococcal bacteria and viral meningitis.
If it is not treated quickly, meningitis can cause life-threatening septicaemia (blood poisoning) and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves.
The two forms of the disease have different symptoms.
Around 3,200 people a year get bacterial meningitis. One in 10 die and many more are left with life-changing disabilities.
Viral forms of meningitis are less common and rarely life-threatening, but can have lifelong effects.
Infections peak during winter when bugs spread more easily in confined spaces.
Meningitis is usually passed on from people who carry the virus or bacterial form in their throat or nose, but aren’t ill themselves.
It can be spread through kissing, sneezing, coughing and sharing household items such as toothbrushes or cutlery.
It is thought that the bacteria are able to invade the body more easily via the nose and throat during winter due to recent infection with flu virus.
The illness can be caught from someone who is ill with meningitis but this is more rare.
The symptoms of meningitis develop suddenly and include:
- A high fever over 37.5 degrees – the average human temperature
- being sick
- a headache
- a blotchy rash that doesn’t fade when a glass is rolled over it
- stiffness, especially in the neck
- sensitivity to bright lights
- drowsiness, irritability or lack of energy
- cold hands and feet
- seizures
Heartbreakingly, Lucas’ family never heard him speak again and he died just days later.
Connor said: “He was home for the summer and working out his next steps in life.
“He was working for our uncle doing part time work and a number of other jobs.
“He was working hard so whether that contributed to it at all, I don’t know.
“We describe him as a force of nature.
We work hard not to blame ourselves in any way.
It’s not like we had a moment where we thought it was meningitis, and we didn’t act on it, we just didn’t think of it
Connor Martin
“He was very entrepreneurial, and he could’ve set his mind to anything and he would have made a success of it.
“Just a very driven, personable young man.
“He was taken too soon.”
After they found Lucas had meningitis, Connor says he and his family were still “in denial.”
He added: “We all rushed home and we got told it could have been meningitis and I think we were in denial that was life-threatening.
“But that was it, none of us ever spoke to him again.
“He was put in an induced coma and on life support as there was fluid on the brain.
“It was a horrific ordeal for all of us.”
‘Take action’
Connor now wants his brother’s story to encourage others to get seen if they are worried.
He said: “I think the one thing that could have maybe saved him was just us insisting that it could be something else – it didn’t really close our minds until he was in the ambulance.
“I want kids of university age to have it in the back of their minds that if they get poorly don’t just always be dismissive.
“If you’re worried, take action.
“We work hard not to blame ourselves in any way.
“It’s not like we had a moment where we thought it was meningitis, and we didn’t act on it, we just didn’t think of it.”
You can read more about Lucas’ story and support the charity set up in his name here.
The Martin family on holiday with Lucas[/caption]
Connor says he wants uni students to have meningitis at the back of their minds so they can take action[/caption]
