Advocate Profile, Allison Abromitis (Shaw)

On a spring break trip during her senior year of high school, Allison woke feeling fatigued and vomited for several hours. She went to the hospital but was ultimately sent home with just a prescription to help ease her symptoms. Later that evening, Allison noticed a purplish rash all over her body and returned to the hospital. She passed out and doctors immediately performed a spinal tap which confirmed she had meningococcal disease.

At the hospital Allison suffered a seizure and a stroke. Doctors placed her into a medically-induced coma and alerted her parents that she had a 10% chance of survival. When Allison awakened, she was paralyzed on the left side of her body and suffered speech and short-term memory loss. Through physical, occupational and speech therapy, Allison was able to regain her motor and speech skills. Allison lives with several permanent consequences from meningitis, including weakness on the left side of her body, peripheral vision loss and short-term memory loss.