Lisa Krizman
ASMP Advocate

We lost our daughter, Sierra, on April 10, 2007, to meningococcal meningitis serogroup C, a vaccine-preventable disease. Sierra was 2 months away from turning 21 years old, working her way through college to fulfill her dream of becoming an elementary school teacher.  She was everything good in this world, and she was never afraid to share her outlook on life with anyone and everyone.  

Our family was not aware of this fatal disease or of the meningitis vaccine that could have prevented it until it was too late. Sierra didn’t live in the dorms and was told she didn’t need the vaccine.  Our lives from that day forward would never be the same; we were now missing a huge piece of our life, a piece that could never be replaced, but her spirit lives on in us and guides us as we do everything to help others.

Unfortunately, we can’t change what happened to Sierra or the many other victims of this devastating disease. Our goal is to prevent this horrible tragedy from happening to anyone else. 

Through the memory of Sierra's generous spirit and her dedication to helping others, her family continues to spread the message about the dangers of meningococcal meningitis and the importance of early detection and prevention. In honor of Sierra, our family hosts a race for adults and a kid’s fun run to raise awareness for meningococcal meningitis prevention. You can learn more about this event at Sierra's Race Against Meningitis.

Please note: The mission of The American Society for Meningitis Prevention (ASMP) is to empower individuals to take action to prevent meningococcal meningitis. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Krizman family for sharing Sierra’s story and helping raise awareness of meningococcal meningitis.