health

essay

College Prep

A mom shares her knowledge
about averting deadly disease.

Dear Parents,
I know how busy you are making sure your children have every-
thing they need as they head off to college. I know your “to-do” list
is longer than your left arm. I know all of that. I remember it well.
However, despite the length of your “to-do” list, one of the most
important things you can do for your children is
to educate them about and protect them from
meningococcal disease. Because of our kids’ life-
styles and their environment, college-aged kids
are vulnerable to this disease.
This explains the outbreaks on college campus-
es that you may have heard about. But parents, as
scary as an outbreak on your child’s campus is, it
is even scarier to know the majority of cases are
Alicia Stillman
actually single cases all over the country that you
have probably never heard about. This is what
happened to my precious Emily.
Meningococcal disease is a serious infection of
the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms mimic those
of other less-dangerous illnesses and often get ignored or initially
misdiagnosed. Some common symptoms are a stiff neck, head-
ache, fever, vomiting, light sensitivity, drowsiness or confusion,
joint pain and a purple/red rash. Please understand that not all
symptoms may be present. The only symptom my Emily had was a
headache.
Another terrifying fact about this disease is its speed. An other-
wise healthy patient can progress to a critical status within hours.
Ten to 20 percent of those with this disease will die like my Emily.
Another 10-20 percent will live with severe life-debilitating effects,
such as loss of limbs and brain damage. You need to explain to
your children that if they suspect this disease, they should treat it
as a 911 emergency.
Because this disease is so fast and so dangerous, the best way
to treat meningococcal disease is by preventing it. Thankfully, all
of the five common serogroups of meningococcal disease are now
vaccine preventable. There are two separate vaccine series needed
for the most comprehensive coverage.
First, make sure your student has received his/her second
MenACWY vaccine. This would have been given at age 11 and
then repeated at age 16/17. And now, unlike when I sent my Emily
off to college, there is a vaccine series to protect your students
from Serogroup B (which accounts for nearly 50 percent of the
cases on college campuses). Your student needs a complete series
of this as well.
Please add this protection to the very top of your “to-do” list.
Like you, I sent my Emily off to college with all the same items as
you are: coordinated bedding, efficient storage units and every-
thing else needed to have a great college experience. Lastly, I
thought I was sending her off to college with all the protections
needed, including the second dose of MenACWY — but the MenB
vaccine was not available to us. It is available to you now. Take
advantage of this opportunity.
Warmly,
Alicia Stillman

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St. Joe’s is a nationally award-winning health

care provider, offering excellence in the

areas of Cardiovascular, Orthopedic, Cancer,

Women’s Health, and Pulmonary care.

We take great pride in earning the trust of

the community and in being the health care

provider of choice for North Oakland County

residents and their families.

For a referral to a St. Joe’s physician or
more information, visit stjoesoakland.org
or call 800-372-6094.

Alicia Stillman of West Bloomfield and husband, Michael, have two additional
children, Karly, 25, and Zachary, 21, besides Emily, who passed away in 2013.
Stillman is co-founder and director of the Emily Stillman Foundation. She speaks
nationwide on meningitis, vaccine advocacy and organ/tissue donation. She can
be reached at www.ForeverEmily.org.

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August 31 • 2017

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