Advocate Profile, Patsy Schaunbaum

Patsy’s 20-year-old daughter, Jamie, almost lost her life in November 2008 to meningococcal meningitis. Jamie was visiting with a friend and began to feel nauseous and was having trouble breathing. The next day Jamie was so weak she could hardly walk down the stairs. Concerned, Jamie’s sister took her to the emergency room. Upon arrival, she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit/Isolation and a few days later was placed on a ventilator to help her body survive the initial infection. Three months later, doctors were forced to amputate Jamie’s fingers on both hands and both legs above the knee, but Jamie survived. While Patsy was aware that a vaccine existed for meningococcal disease, she did not have Jamie vaccinated because she did not know the risk for the disease and doctors never discussed the importance of vaccination with her.

“Parents need to be aware of meningococcal disease and speak with their health care providers about protecting their children,” said Patsy. “Vaccination is the best way to prevent this devastating disease.”