Advocate Profile, Deb Jerdo

Deb’s daughter, Lindsay, had just celebrated her 18th birthday and started working at a ski resort when she lost her life to meningococcal disease. Deb was Christmas shopping when Lindsay called saying she had a headache and was going to bed. Lindsay became feverish and her condition worsened during the night. Deb assumed it was the flu. The next afternoon, Deb called 911 when she noticed Lindsay was lethargic and had a rash on her legs. Her doctors knew it was meningitis after a spinal tap, but could not transfer her by helicopter to the University of Vermont Medical Center due to freezing rain. They intubated her. Her kidneys began to fail. On the morning of December 24th, Lindsay passed away.

Deb is dedicated to keeping the memory of her daughter alive and raising awareness of this deadly disease and a vaccine that could have saved Lindsay’s life; she urges all parents to vaccinate their children against meningitis.