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Meningitis
may not be a topic covered in health class, so school yourself on this virus for caution's sake.
Beware of Contracting Meningitis on Campus
By Rochelle DelGaizo Billera
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick -- On March 25, 1998, Lynn Bozof's
worst nightmare came true. The mother of Georgia Southwestern University (Americus, GA) pre-med
student Evan Bozof, received a call from her son that he was experiencing a
terrible migraine. At first, she wasn't too alarmed, since migraines run in
her family. But when Evan, who was also the star pitcher of his school's baseball
team, said he was too sick to attend his game, sirens began sounding in Mrs.
Bozof's ears.
"I knew then that he must have really been sick," she remembers. And
when Evan wasn't feeling any better hours later, his mother suggested he have
a friend take him to the local hospital's emergency room. When he got there,
the doctors thought Evan had a virus and admitted him as a precautionary measure.
The next day, however,
the doctor tending to Evan informed Mrs. Bozof that he had bacterial meningitis
and was in critical condition. The family rushed to the hospital, but Evan,
who endured a quadruple amputation of both legs and arms and suffered several
brain seizures, died 26 days after his diagnosis.
"If the meningitis
had been caught earlier or prevented through a $65 vaccination, Evan could have
been treated and survived," blares Mrs. Bozof, frustrated and forlorn.
Recent studies
show that college students -- particularly those living on campus -- have three
to five times greater risk of contracting meningitis than the general population.
The Center for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend
getting vaccinated prior to attending college.
"If Evan had
been vaccinated, he'd still be alive today. I'd like to see all [50] states
require the vaccine," says Mrs. Bozof, who established the Evan Bozof Resolution
the year of her son's death. It encourages administrators of Georgia public
colleges and universities to educate students and parents about the disease.
"There's
this safe vaccine out there with no side effects that could save lives,"
says Mrs. Bozof. "Education, prevention, and awareness are key to saving
lives."
Be conscious of
your health in college. Some warning signs of meningitis include:
1. Flu-like
aches and pains
2. Sudden high
fever
3. Stiff neck
4. Extreme
lethargy
5. Strange blotch-like
spots on skin
6. Overall
feeling of weakness
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