Teenager’s family ‘heartbroken’ by meningitis death
Just nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleNathan BriantSouth of England
Family photoA teenage boy who died after contracting meningitis has been described as “a funny, kind hearted soul” by his family.
Lewis Waters, a sixth-form pupil at The Henley College in Oxfordshire, died earlier this week from the infection.
Posting a tribute on Facebook, his family said they were “devastated” and “words simply can’t describe the heartbreak and upset we’re going through”.
Two pupils, one from Reading Blue Coat School and another from Highdown Secondary School and Sixth Form Centre in Reading, are also being treated for meningitis, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.
Lewis’ dad Sean wrote: “Within a few hours of feeling a bit ill he developed sepsis and was taken from us.
“He fought hard and was really taken care of by the ICU team but they just couldn’t save him.
“We are absolutely devastated.”
The UKHSA announced on Thursday that it had identified a social network that connected Lewis and the other two young people.
Close contacts linked to all three are being offered antibiotics as a precaution.
A statement from Henley College said its “thoughts and sincere condolences are with the student’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time”.
“We are supporting those affected within our college community and are following the advice and guidance given by the UKHSA,” it added.
The UKHSA said one case had been confirmed as Meningitis B (MenB) and it was awaiting further tests on the other two.
It confirmed the case was not the same strain found in MenB outbreaks earlier this year.
Two months ago, two people died of MenB in Kent, linked to a nightclub in Canterbury, and in April, three young people contracted meningitis in Dorset.
The agency said the risk to the wider public was low.