Coutrney Martin
ASMP Advocate

I lost my son Ryan to bacterial meningitis in 2007. He was just 14 months old. The day I lost him changed everything—my life, my heart, and the way I see the world. 

Meningitis is horrible. It can take a child in hours. One moment your baby is here, and the next, everything is gone. 

There isn’t a single day that goes by that I don’t think about who Ryan would be today. He would have been 20 this year, and I often wonder what he would look like, who he would be, and what kind of life he would be living. 

I share Ryan’s story because parents need to know this: you know your child better than anyone. Better than any doctor. Trust your instincts. Go with your gut. 

Through the years and through a lot of grief work, advocating for meningitis prevention and vaccination has become a way for me to turn my grief into purpose—so other families are protected from a disease that can take a child in hours.