Abigail Wold
ASMP Advocate

In 2003, just days before I was scheduled to begin basic training for the U.S. Army, I woke up with body aches that I brushed off as soreness from my new exercise routine. Later that night, while out with friends, I developed a slight headache, and by the time I began vomiting, I knew something was seriously wrong. 

The next morning, a friend tried to wake me, and I felt a searing pain when they touched my arm. A rash had spread across my stomach, and I was rushed to the emergency room. By the time I arrived at the hospital, I could no longer walk on my own. I was quickly diagnosed with meningococcemia serogroup C and treated with antibiotics, but my condition worsened. I went into respiratory arrest, my kidneys failed, and I spent two and a half weeks in a coma. 

I survived, but the infection cost me both of my legs and several fingers. At the time, I had not been vaccinated, though I was scheduled to receive the meningococcal vaccine at basic training. 

I have a bachelor’s degree in public health and am deeply committed to educating others about meningococcal disease and the importance of prevention. 

“Sadly, when I got sick, the vaccine wasn’t recommended for my age group,” I often share. “Now there are effective vaccines against meningococcal disease. Please—get your family vaccinated.”