4-Month-Old Dies of Meningitis Likely Contracted from Unvaccinated Person: 'This Is a Nightmare'

Photo: Go Fund Me

“This is is a nightmare no parent, no family, should ever have to experience,” relatives wrote on aGoFundMe pageto cover the boy’s funeral costs. “His loss leaves a profound hole in the hearts of everyone who knew him.”

Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. Although people of any age can develop the illness, babies are at increased risk for meningitis compared to other age groups.

Meningitis symptoms, including headache, fever and stiff neck, may be difficult to notice in infants, the CDC reports, noting that symptoms can develop in as little as three days. Parents who think their children may have the illness should see a doctor immediately. About one in 15 children who get meningitis die from the infection, according to the CDC.

Schultz’s diagnosis came as a shock to his parents. But Dempsey, of Chesterfield, told the station that she knew there was little hope for the infant to recover from the severe illness.

She told the station that officials believed the boy likely contracted the illness from an unvaccinated person.

The death came just days after Schultz received his vaccinations.

Facebook photos show the smiling boy sporting a sweet smile in photos with relatives. In aThursday Facebook post, Dempsey wrote that she and her fiancé Gabriel Schultz “need time” to “properly grieve.”

“Your words, your support, your kindness…they have all been priceless to us. However, for now, we need time,” she wrote. “To those that don’t see me for a while, I am okay. I have wonderful people protecting me, and caring for me.”

source: people.com