NEWS

Deadly Disease strike young student
By: Jennifer W., Grade 12, Garden Valley Collegiate, Winkler, MB

G.V.C. student Amy Graham was diagnosed with the Meinaechoc bacteria, a type of meningitis at the Morden Hospital on January 21, 2001. The disease may have been contracted by a friend’s cough that contained the virus.

Amy was rushed to the St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg where she stayed for a total of nine days. Nearly one month later, Amy was well enough to be back in school, although the disease has affected her life in many ways.

“I feel different now,” comments Amy. “I don’t feel like the same person I was before.”

Her thoughts on life too now have changed. “I appreciate life more and realize just how quickly it can be taken away,” Amy says. A close friend of Amy’s agreed with the fact that life is fragile and should be appreciated as well as the fact that our time on earth is limited and should not be taken for granted.

To prevent the illness from spreading, people who had come in contact with Amy within the month of her hospitalization, had to take several pills which give off strange side effects such as their perspiration turning orange.

To prevent seizures, Amy is now on Dialantin, which can cause kidney or gum disease and possibly cause future deafness. The chances of the meningitis reoccurring are like the possibility of getting the flu.

As for the present, Amy now wants to forget that the incident ever happened and move on with her life.