‘I was as close to death as you can be’: Paralympic gold medalist reveals proof of meningitis diagnosis for first time

A Paralympic gold medalist has described how he was “as close to death” as a person can be after contracting meningitis.

Wheelchair rugby player Aaron Phipps said his experience was “absolutely horrific” but “it can happen to anyone” as he urged teenagers and young adults to make sure they are vaccinated against the disease potentially fatal

Phipps had both his legs and most of his fingers amputated after contracting meningitis when he was 15.

On January 7, 1999, he woke up with flu-like symptoms, and about 12 hours later he was on a life support machine after developing blood poisoning.

The man, now 41, went into an induced coma and spent a year in hospital recovering and receiving treatment.

Wheelchair rugby player Aaron Phipps said his experience was “absolutely horrific” and “could happen to anyone”, as he urged teenagers and young adults to make sure they are vaccinated against the potentially fatal disease .

On January 7, 1999, he woke up with flu-like symptoms, and about 12 hours later he was on a life support machine after developing blood poisoning. The now 41-year-old went into an induced coma and spent a year in hospital recovering and receiving treatment.

The father-of-two is backing an NHS campaign calling for students and young people to be vaccinated against the disease, warning them “they shouldn’t think it’s never going to happen to them”.

Mr Phipps recalls: “It was the first day back at school after the Christmas holidays, I came home from school and I wasn’t feeling great.

“I had a temperature and got into bed. The next morning I got up and collapsed on the landing.

“Mum saw a rash appear on my chest and vaguely knew the symptoms of meningitis, so she did the glass test and called an ambulance.”

Meningitis is an infection that causes inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

It can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.

Viral meningitis is the most common type, but bacterial meningitis is the most dangerous and can be fatal within 24 hours.

Symptoms of meningitis include fever or lower-than-normal temperature, neck stiffness, headaches, sensitivity to light, confusion, and drowsiness.

Aaron Phipps with his daughters Ella, 13 (left) and Chloe, 11, have urged people to get vaccinated

As it progresses, it can cause seizures. Some types of meningitis also cause a characteristic rash of small red marks or “stitches” that do not go away under pressure.

To check this, doctors advise pressing a transparent glass against the skin where the rash is, to see if it disappears.

Recalling his ordeal once he got to hospital, Phipps added: “I was about as close to death as anyone could be.

‘He was in intensive care. I was in an induced coma for two weeks while my parents thought I was probably going to die.”

A fatal complication of meningitis is small blood clots that block small blood vessels and cause tissue death.

This is why patients with severe cases can lose fingers, toes and entire limbs.

Phipps said: “At first I was told I might have to have the tips of my toes and feet amputated, and then I was given the news that my feet would have to be too.

Bacterial meningitis, which requires urgent hospital treatment, affects the membranes of the spinal cord and brain.

“Both of my legs were amputated below the knee and I was in hospital for a year.”

There are around 8,000 cases of meningitis in the UK each year. It can affect anyone, but is more common in babies, toddlers and teenagers.

Phipps warns that meningitis presents like any other illness.

“That’s why I’m so passionate about this, because it’s horrible. It’s such a horrible disease and it can happen to anyone,” she said.

Meningitis B vaccine is offered to all babies at eight weeks, followed by a second dose at 16 weeks and a booster a year.

Despite this, the latest NHS figures show that more than one in 10 children in England had not received all the recommended MenB vaccinations by the age of two.

And although it wasn’t available when Mr Phipps was younger, there is now the MenACWY meningitis vaccine, offered to teenagers at 13 or 14.

The data shows that more than a quarter of teenagers had not received the MenACWY vaccine, so the jab is also available to people up to 25 years of age who have not been vaccinated before.

Phipps added: “To think that people aren’t vaccinating their children against this, knowing what happened to me… but what I went through that year, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. It was absolutely horrific.

Some types of meningitis also cause a characteristic rash of small red marks or “stitches” that do not go away under pressure. To test it, doctors advise pressing a transparent glass against the skin where the rash is, to see if it disappears.

“You can’t underestimate the importance of protecting yourself against meningitis, so don’t put it off, make an appointment for a vaccine for you or your family today.”

Phipps said his illness gave him “a drive I’ve never had before” and he began racing in a wheelchair, including two London Marathons, before being scouted to join the team at GB Wheelchair Rugby.

It made its debut at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, where GB wheelchair rugby finished fifth.

In 2021, he helped the team win gold at the Tokyo Paralympics.

At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, the team missed out on a medal after losing to Australia in the bronze medal match.

In addition to his achievements in wheelchair rugby, Phipps also became the first disabled person to climb Kilimanjaro unaided in 2016 while raising funds for the Meningitis Research Foundation.

Phipps was made an MBE in the 2021 New Year’s Honors list for services to sport.