- Tom Harley warns of dangers of meningococcal disease
- His son Hugo contracted the potentially fatal infection.
- Harley wants all parents to stay alert to the disease
Swans chief executive and former football star Tom Harley has spoken out about his son’s battle with meningococcal disease and insisted parents should speak to their doctors about the deadly infection.
Harley’s son Hugo survived meningitis B (an infection that kills one in ten of those diagnosed) against all odds after the bacteria made its way to his spinal cord and brain.
Experts warn that the disease is likely to increase in the coming months, and Harley and his wife Felicity are encouraging parents to remain vigilant.
“I still vividly remember taking my incredibly sick baby to the hospital and not knowing if he would live,” she said.
“Acting quickly at the first symptoms could have saved his life.”
‘Looking back, I realise that I didn’t know enough about meningococcal disease and didn’t have much information about the different strains of meningococcus and the variety of symptoms until my own baby was hospitalised.
‘I wish I had known all the symptoms, the different types of meningococcal bacteria circulating in Australia and the rapid rate at which this infection can progress.’
“I would encourage all parents to talk to their doctors about how to help reduce the risks to their families and not to hesitate if they suspect meningococcal disease,” Harley said.
Tom Harley has spoken out about his son’s terrifying battle with meningococcal disease
Harley (pictured with her family) says she wishes she had been aware of all the symptoms.
Shortly after, Ms Harley told the Daily Mail Australia that she knew something was not right with her son.
“It’s very hard to tell with a five-week-old baby and in the end I think it was my mom’s intuition because she was breathing fine, but I knew something wasn’t right,” Harley said.
“I had recently had tonsillitis so I kept telling myself it was just a cold, but when we got to the hospital we were treated quickly,” she added.
Mrs Harley and her husband had to watch young Hugo undergo painful tests, including a spinal tap, the results of which came back unusual.
“I’ll never forget when the doctor came in and said, ‘You have a really high white blood cell count, we think this could be really serious,'” she said.
The Harleys encourage all parents to talk to their doctors about the risks.
Ms Harley said she went through hell waiting for test results to confirm whether she had meningococcus.
“We had no idea what could happen to us. The consequences can be very serious, from neurological damage to seizures or death.
‘We could have had a child with learning difficulties, mental disabilities… your mind is all over the place as you walk through the hospital wards.’