Advocate Profile, Tammy Futterman

Tammy’s daughter, Rachel, a gifted dancer and a talented volleyball player, tragically lost her life on September 22, 2007 to meningococcal disease. Rachel was a sophomore in college with plans to attend law school. When Rachel began feeling under the weather, she and her friends assumed it was because they were up late the night before. When a roommate came by to see how she was feeling, Rachel said she felt like she was coming down with the flu and had a terrible headache. When she tried to get out of her bed, Rachel collapsed and had a seizure. Her roommates called 911 and once Rachel arrived at the hospital doctors sedated her because she was having trouble breathing. Sadly, Rachel never woke up.

“As a parent, we try to do all that we can to protect our children. Unfortunately, I did not know about meningococcal disease or the importance of vaccination. By raising awareness of meningococcal disease and prevention, my hope is to prevent other families from having to experience this devastating disease.”