Advocate Profile, Tresa Whitehead

Tresa’s daughter, Sarah Beth, was an athletic 14-year-old, full of faith and loved by everyone who knew her when she tragically lost her life to meningococcal disease. One night, Sarah Beth woke up with a severe headache and chills. She soon began to vomit, but she told Tresa to go back to sleep, saying she would be fine. Tresa found Sara Beth unconscious a short time later and called 911. At the emergency room, Sarah Beth was diagnosed with meningococcal disease. Sarah Beth’s organs began to fail and she was having trouble breathing. Hours later, doctors transported Sarah Beth to a hospital better able to handle her condition, but Sarah Beth never regained consciousness. She passed away on March 11, 2005.

“This devastating disease is particularly dangerous because symptoms closely resemble the flu, making it hard to identify and diagnose,” said Tresa. “Our adolescents and teens are at increased risk, and the best way to protect them is through prevention. I urge you to speak with your children’s health care provider about meningococcal vaccination.”