Lauren Heckert
ASMP Advocate

My brother Todd contracted meningitis in 1988 when he was just two years old. What doctors first thought was the flu turned out to be meningitis, and by the time it was correctly diagnosed, the infection had caused severe, irreversible damage. The meningitis caused pressure to build and pinch around his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. He became ventilator-dependent and required in-home nursing care 20 hours a day, five days a week. The remaining hours were cared for by my parents, who devoted their lives to ensuring he had the best quality of life possible.  

Despite the challenges he faced, Todd lived an extraordinary and meaningful life. He graduated from Okawville High School in 2004 and earned his associate degree from Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville before transferring to Southern Illinois University Carbondale to pursue a bachelor's degree in cyber security. Todd was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing with our dad and spending time with his dog, Lucy. He enjoyed cooking and helping our mom in the kitchen, and he never missed a chance to cheer me on at my softball games. A true “techie,” he loved computers and gaming and never let his physical limitations define him.  

Todd passed away in 2018 at the age of 32, but his courage, humor, and determination continue to inspire me every day. I share our story to raise awareness about meningococcal meningitis so that no other family has to experience what ours did. Through advocacy and education, I hope to help prevent what happened to Todd from happening to anyone else.