www.awnw.com.au
Issue #223 – Wednesday, 12 March, 2014
Albury Wodonga’s largest circulating newspaper
Squaring off in Triangle Series THE Chiltern Rodeo has been hailed another success, attracting Australian champions in both bull and rider in a bid to take out the Triangle Series. TURN TO SPORT FOR FULL DETAILS
The jab of life By KRYSTEN MANUEL ELIZA Ault-Connell was a happy, healthy 16-year-old the night before she woke up with a headache and nausea. By sundown the following day she was on life support, with amputations to both legs and all of her fingers, skin grafts and organ failure looming. “Quite often with meningococcal they say ‘healthy at breakfast, dead by dinner,’ that’s just how quick it actually attacks the body,” Eliza said. “When you’re feeling unwell you say ‘If I’m still feeling this way tomorrow I’ll go and see a doctor.’ With menigococcal minutes matter, minutes can literally save your life. “I was 16 when I contracted meningococcal septicaemia. That was in 1997 and there wasn’t the public awareness of the symptoms or even of the disease back then. So when I was diagnosed with it I didn’t know what it was and nor did my parents. “I woke up one morning just feeling unwell - headaches, nausea and vomiting. By that night I was on life support. “From there I had both my legs amputated below the knee, I had skin grafts done to my arms and legs and amputations to my fingers because with meningococcal you bleed to your extremities and everything inside breaks down, the veins and capillaries, you just bleed and it becomes septic. “They give you massive doses of antibiotics and remove any tissue or any limbs that have been affected, then deal with the after-effects of that which can mean organs shutting down. “Everything shut down on me, I was on dialysis for about four months.” Some 17 years after her battle began, Eliza is married with three children and a string of Olympic-level
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Healthy at breakfast, dead by dinner…
sporting achievements most people could only dream of. “It’s shaped my life, but not in the negative way you would probably think,” she said. “I’ve been lucky enough that I’ve been able to represent my country in sport. I’ve competed in Paralympics, Olympics and Commonwealth Games in wheelchair track racing. “I ran the Olympics 800m demonstration race in Athens - it was absolutely amazing. It was the night of the men’s 100m final, so it was an awesome atmosphere - 100,000 people in the stadium, and I was lucky enough to get a silver medal, which was mindblowing. “Before that I competed in world championships and the Commonwealth Games in 2002 in Manchester, and the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006, I also got a silver medal there. “Eight years prior to that I’d had meningococcal and people had sort of, not ruled me out, but wondered ‘what does her future hold?’ It was a great thing for them to see that I could still go on and do so much. “I’ve been really fortunate - I’ve travelled the world and met amazing people. I probably wouldn’t have been an elite athlete without having meningococcal happen, so I consider it a blessing in disguise.” But Eliza said although she now lived a full and happy life, she would be devastated to see one of her children
WITH the first meningococcal B vaccine finally available as of last week, local Olympian and meningococcal survivor Eliza Ault-Connell warns Border residents to educate themselves to spare their lives and those of their children. Shown here is Eliza with two of her children, Jensen and Elka. have to go through what she had, and so was very aware of all the signs and symptoms. “It’s my hope that in the future that we’re going to be able to use these vaccines and limit the number of meningococcal cases,” she said. “But really it’s awareness of the disease that saves lives. “Know the symptoms and recognise them. Know what you’re vacci-
caused by meningitis group B (MenB) strains in individuals from two months of age and older. Of the five main types (serogroups) of the disease, MenB is by far the most common in Australia, responsible for 84 per cent of known infections. Prior to the approval of Bexsero, no vaccine was available to protect against MenB in Australia. Continued on page 3
nated for, check on people if you know they’re unwell, and if you suspect meningococcal act on it straight away - if you go to a doctor or the emergency department and you think it’s meningococcal, mention it and get them to rule it out.” Last week, the first meningococcal B vaccine became available in Australia. Bexsero is a multi-component meningococcal B vaccine for active immunisation against invasive disease
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