Trevor

Last Friday he mentioned to one of my siblings that he had a terrible headache.

On Saturday he was progressively getting worse, with irritability, headache and confusion. Still he was left to his own devices because he's a "big boy". By Monday he couldn't name names, he was increasingly irritable and he was delirious.

Apparently he put up an impossible fight but after having a relaxer administered by needle, the paramedics were able to rustle the 6'2, 240 lb boy into the ambulance and off they went to the Emergency ward at the hospital in High Prairie, Alberta. I don't know who the on-call doctor was that night but he made an incredibly wise decision to administer meningitis antibiotics and to put him on the air ambulance to the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton. Within hours of arriving a spinal tap was performed and bacteria meningitis was confirmed. It is now day two since he arrived and the bacteria has been further confirmed to be pneumoccal. The prognosis is promising. There are some serious risks but we believe he was spared much more tragic consequences. He's currently intubated and sedated but he should be ok after a few days. I submitted this story because I believe there is an important lesson to be learned here; which is that no matter how big, how strong, how resistant, and how resilient the boy, persistent sickness must result in a visit to the doctor!!!!!