Her newborn son was feverish, lethargic and irritable.
Her doctor initially told her not to worry, but her instincts told her something was not right.
She insisted on a further examination of her child, after all, at one week old, there was little margin for error.
It was after a second exam that Furakh Mir's son, Sulayman, was diagnosed with bacterial Meningitis.
The little boy recovered after receiving a course of aggressive antibiotics at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
This was the story Ms. Mir told during the opening minutes of yesterday's webinar organized to help raise awareness of the dangers, signs, and preventative measures associated with meningitis.
Today is World Meningitis Day.
Being a parent means being constantly vigilant. But it also means managing your attention - focusing on what's important, and prioritizing.
Meningitis was not high on my priority list.
Like so many parents, I keep a watchful eye when sitting by the local pool; make sure my kids eat don't eat too much junk food; and see to it they complete their homework.
Why would I attend a webinar related to World Meningitis Day?
The startling facts I learned yesterday about the disease answered that question.
Before I relay that information, here's a video produced by Meningitis Relief which encapsulates the reasons our focus should shift to include Meningitis:
Hearing loss, brain damage, learning disability and possibly death within the first 24 to 48 hours.
We take such precautions to get the flu shot, and wear our bicycle helmets, yet we barely hear of Meningitis from our doctors or our children's schools.
It is not yet part of the lexicon. Yet it presents a grave danger.
While it first presents with flu-like symptoms: fever, nausea, headache, neck pain and vomiting; it can spiral quickly downwards.
About 1 in 10 with the disease will not survive.
These are some of the facts put forth by the World Health Organization on their information sheet.
Dr. David Greenberg suggested yesterday that one of the best ways of assuring your concern about your child's health is being taken seriously by your doctor is to point out changes in your child's behavior.
He points out, as many parents have experienced, that one child may have a fever of 40 degrees and still be energetic and active; another may register 38.2 and be gray and lethargic.
Trust your instincts. You know your child, don't shy away from letting your doctor know you feel there is more going on.
Meningitis is spread through direct contact with an infected person through the droplet route by means of respiratory secretions when air or liquid secretions are shared. - Meningitis Research Foundation of Canada
It does not spread through casual contact.
In other words, similar to flu prevention. Hygiene is key.
No shared drinks, or lipsticks; cough into your sleeves, wash your hands.
While younger children may respond more easily to an adult warning them not to share a water bottle with their friends at the park, teenagers can be more of a challenge.
Refusing a shared cigarette, or telling a friend: "No, you can't have a sip of my drink" may result in a teen being teased by their peers. This naturally discourages young adults from putting hygiene first.
During our one-on-one conversation after the webinar, Parenting Expert Alyson Schafer stressed that getting rid of this sort of stigma is exactly why meningitis prevention must become part our daily conversation.
She pointed out how, at one time, proper hygiene - even after a visit to the washroom - wasn't something people focused on. Now, washing your hands before leaving the bathroom is (hopefully) routine.
Ms. Schafer pointed out that meningitis awareness and prevention should become as much a part of routine conversations as flu vaccines, and washing your hands during cold season.
It's never too early to being that conversation.
Talk about meningitis vaccines, and prevention with your family, your friends and your schools
When it comes to meningitis - knowledge is power.
Here is a short survey, where you can discover how much you know, or don't know about the disease - it is live until April 29th, 2013.
Visit the Meningitis Research Foundation of Canada, or Meningitis Relief Canada in Facebook website for more information.
