A HASLEMERE family has backed an international day to highlight the bravery of meningitis survivors and those whose lives have been changed forever through losing someone to the disease.

The UK’s leading meningitis charity, Meningitis Now, supported World Meningitis Day on April 24, which focused on Life After Meningitis.

The annual event is an initiative of the worldwide Confederation of Meningitis Organisations.

Haslemere Meningitis Now supporters Emma and Jason Cotton hope that by sharing the emotional turmoil they suffered through the loss of their 30-day-old son Thomas to meningitis, they can raise awareness of the signs and symptoms, and greater awareness of this devastating disease.

The couple lost Thomas to meningitis in March 2014.

At just three days old, he had been admitted to hospital and put on a life-support machine.

But their baby continued to have seizures and a scan showed he had suffered extensive brain damage and that it was terminal.

Emma said: “Meningitis can wreck lives and it’s vital everybody understands how serious it can be for individuals and families.

“That’s why we’re supporting World Meningitis Day.”

“We agreed to say our goodbyes to him and turn off his life-support machine. However, Thomas had other plans, and continued to fight for survival.

“He came round and we realised we were to have a bit of a future with him.

“We went to Helen House Hospice with him, so we could learn to care for him and for us to be able to take him home

“Our other two children at the time were able to join us, and having lived there for a couple of weeks, we returned home and lived as a family of five before Thomas died at the age of just 30 days.

“Our family has been left with a huge hole.

“Thomas is missed every day and yet is still very much part of our family. His siblings still talk about him and remember their time with him

“We have since had a fourth child, who has grown up knowing he has a brother he will never meet.

“It was difficult as parents going through the worries of having another baby and history repeating itself.

“It has changed us as people and as a family. We have lost and gained friends over it.

“I am a lot more paranoid and aware of our own fragility and that of my husband and other children.

“Living with the constant emotional turmoil of our grief has impacted my emotional capacity to deal with any additional problems and stresses life can throw and, as a result, I have had to find ways of simplifying our daily routines.

“I find it difficult to plan for our future, having had our lives turned upside down, and never feel secure in making commitments when I know there is a chance life may take a different path.

“I have had mental health issues of depression and anxiety, including separation anxiety from my family.

“While we try to focus on the wonderful memories we have from our lives with Thomas, there are many harrowing memories and we have had to find ways of living with these.”