THE family of a child who suffered serious brain damage after medics failed to diagnose his meningitis are using their experiences to help others from going through the same devastation.

Ato Adjei was admitted to hospital with symptoms of a cold and his temperature soared to 42 degrees, followed by respiratory arrest. When the eight-month old came round after three weeks in an induced coma, a scan showed five areas of his brain were dead.

Now, ten years on, parents Nick and Lynette, from Hall Green, are hoping to help other parents spot the signs and symptoms at the earliest stage. The couple, who have another three children, two with sickle cell disease, are working with the Meningitis Trust.

Lynette said: “We do everything we can to support the Trust’s work in raising awareness of a disease that doesn’t discriminate on ethnicity or age, but that can end or change a life in a matter of hours.

“I guess there’s never a right time, especially with four children but it’s important to do. The sessions are to tell parents about the symptoms.

“With Ato it started as a cold then a temperature. We took him to hospital where he stayed for 48 hours, it was very alarming. They didn’t do a lumber puncture like they do now. Then he had a respiratory arrest and was in a coma for three and a half weeks.

“The last scan showed areas of his brain had been killed off by the pneumo-coccus bug.”