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what it feels like: ‘i thought i was going to die’ from invasive meningococcal disease

chloe kerton survived invasive meningococcal disease to tell her story and encourage the life-saving meningitis b vaccination.

by karen hawthorne

jul 30 2024

7 minute read

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chloe kerton has returned to her active ways after surviving invasive meningococcal disease, but traumatic feelings remain. supplied

heading off to university is a big life change, but chloe kerton of toronto was eager to get started, make the most of residence life and all the opportunities for competitive sports. in the fall of 2022, the 18-year-old commerce student was four months into her first semester at dalhousie university in halifax, right in the middle of exams, when she suddenly felt a bit off from her usual energetic and capable self.

“i was at the gym with one of my friends. we took a study break and i remember i was doing a plank and my body didn’t feel right. i couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it just made me worried,” chloe says. “the next morning i woke up and i felt the worst i’ve ever felt in my entire life.”

she could hardly move, and her skin was hot and cold at the same time. dressed in multiple layers of sweats and a blanket with an attached hoodie that she pulled tight around her head, she took a tylenol and stayed in bed trying to study as best she could. it might have been a bad flu that left her feeling like she’d been “hit by a truck” and she was prepared to tough it out.

but she ordered dinner at around 7 p.m. and was rolling up her sleeves to eat when she noticed strange marks on her arm that hadn’t been there the day before – a patchwork of pink and red bruising. “i’d never seen anything like that before, so i texted my friend and my mom to ask them what they thought,” she says of her rising alarm. “they were like, ‘that doesn’t look good.’”

recognizing invasive meningococcal disease

she took an uber to the hospital, went through triage for first assessment and sat in the waiting area for two hours. “i think people thought i was overreacting because i could have just had the flu.” she felt so ill, she went back to the nurse to ask how much longer her wait would be and was told it might take eight hours. “i said, ‘no way,’ and ubered back to my residence room because all i wanted to do was sleep.”

back in bed though, she got a call from the er doctor who had reviewed the triage report, urging her to get back to the hospital right away. this time the uber drive had to help her into the building. she was taken immediately into an emergency room for a lumbar puncture test (for a diagnostic fluid sample) and treated for suspected invasive meningococcal disease, or imd. coincidentally, the doctor had read about recent cases of the potentially-lethal bacterial infection of the meningitis b strain – the one that’s not part of the publicly-funded vaccination schedule in canada – and the diagnosis later confirmed for chloe.

because of coverage in the news, chloe says the physician was on high alert when she came across the vitals recorded on the chart of a healthy 18 year old: “there was no way that my chart should have looked as bad as it did and so she saved my life. she said that if i had been one hour later, things would’ve been completely different for me.”

chloe’s advice to others is also about knowing your body and trusting your intuition. “trusting your body and your gut instincts and being right about it. it’s a powerful feeling to trust yourself.” supplied

imd can be fatal for up to 10 per cent of people who contract it, and the meningitis b strain can be devastating for anyone, with about 20 per cent suffering long-term disabilities like deafness, limb amputations, brain damage, seizure conditions or communication and memory challenges. it comes on fast with flu-like symptoms and often a purple or red rash and needs treatment with antibiotics as soon as possible.

currently, no provinces or territories cover the cost of the meningococcal b vaccine for all children. while there are almost 200 cases of imd in canada per year, according to public health , several regions across the country are seeing a spike in local cases this year, prompting health officials to alert people to its dangers and importance of vaccination. students are considered more likely to be at risk because they tend to be closer together and spread the disease by sharing items like utensils and drinking cups.

prince edward island rolled out a program in may 2023 for students at holland college or upei to receive a free meningococcal b vaccine, and is now encouraging post-secondary students attending schools on the island or off-island to get the free vaccine before going to school this fall, cbc news reports .

trying to move forward from a near-death experience

chloe survived to tell her story and encourage the life-saving vaccination. her parents flew in from toronto while she stayed in hospital for a week, connected to iv drips to stabilize her system. she went from being delirious and close to death to worrying about her exams.

looking back, she’s still shocked by the experience.

“when i was going in between the hospital and residence, and the whole day leading up to this, i had no idea it could be that serious. when i finally was taken in and being treated, i had six or eight doctors around me in this room where they stripped off my clothes and they asked me if i wanted to be resuscitated.”

she remembers doctors trying to raise her blood pressure because it was very low and there was concern over her organs shutting down because of blood flow being cut off from her limbs. “i wasn’t getting blood flow to my toes and my fingers, so they took off my socks and they were looking at my feet a lot, which was confusing for me at the time.”

at this point, she was fading in and out of consciousness but realized the situation was very serious. “i thought i was going to die,” she admits. “it was terrifying.”

so, how do you recover from a near-death experience?

for chloe, it meant moving forward. she could have chosen to take a few months off school, but she didn’t. she went with her parents and younger brother to visit family in san diego for their annual christmas trip. they went on a short hike during the vacation which she was able to do and felt good about. then she returned to halifax for school, wrote her exams in january and went ahead with all of her required courses.

“i really wanted to go back to normalcy and feel back to normal. it was important for me to get back on track and not delay anything,” she explains.

“i think as big of an impact as meningitis has been in my life, i didn’t want it to take away from all of the great things i have going for me. and one of those things is being able to go to school with my friends and have a great experience.”

she also learned that another student from ontario, 18-year-old maria gaynor, who lived two floors below in the same residence caught meningitis b at the same time but died in her sleep in her dorm room. ctv reported on her death in december 2022.

“we had some mutual friends and i think about maria pretty much every day. her friends have reached out to me. it’s devastating,” chloe says, adding that she had no idea there were other cases along the east coast that fall. she also wasn’t aware of the meningitis b strain.

“i knew that i had been vaccinated against a, c and y when i was in grade 7, but i had no idea about b. none of my doctors had ever talked to me about it and no one at my university had mentioned it. i wish someone had told me to get vaccinated against meningitis b even though it’s about a $300 vaccination cost, your life is worth it.”

her advice to others is also about knowing your body and trusting your intuition. “trusting your body and your gut instincts and being right about it. it’s a powerful feeling to trust yourself.”

long-lasting effects of imd

today she’s physically back to her regular self, going to the gym, playing basketball and tennis. mentally was the part that she felt most impacted by. she has anxiety which could be the aftermath of the trauma she’s been through, she says. and for several months after being hospitalized, she had trouble finding words and sentences, with her friends noticing her confusion.

she turns 20 this august and has put her reckless tendencies aside for good. “before i got meningitis, i was known to live a little bit on the edge. my grandpa called me danger girl. i liked doing backflips and skiing off chalet roofs. but now i really prioritize my health. at the end of the day, all you have is your health.”

for more information on imd, visit meningitis foundation canada.

karen hawthorne

karen hawthorne worked for six years as a digital editor for the national post, contributing articles on health, business, culture and travel for affiliated newspapers across canada. she now writes from her home office in toronto as a freelancer, and takes breaks to bounce with her son on the backyard trampoline and walk bingo, her bull terrier.

what it feels like: ‘i thought i was going to die’ from invasive meningococcal disease

chloe kerton survived invasive meningococcal disease to tell her story and encourage the life-saving meningitis b vaccination.

recognizing invasive meningococcal disease

what it feels like: losing your child to meningitis

meningitis cases rise in ontario, manitoba: what you need to know about causes, symptoms, and prevention

trying to move forward from a near-death experience

long-lasting effects of imd

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what it feels like: ‘i thought i was going to die’ from invasive meningococcal disease

chloe kerton survived invasive meningococcal disease to tell her story and encourage the life-saving meningitis b vaccination.

recognizing invasive meningococcal disease

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