Magherafelt meningitis survivor in head shave campaign

A Magherafelt woman who survived an aggressive form of meningitis as a child will shave her head to raise awareness about the dangers of the deadly disease.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Sep 2016, 10:10 BST
Updated 1st Sep 2016, 11:16 BST
Emma Henry from MagherafeltEmma Henry from Magherafelt
Emma Henry from Magherafelt

Emma Henry’s undertaking will take place on November 3rd - the 31st anniversary of her miracle recovery from the jaws of death at the hands of the disease.

“Last year Aaron Devlin lost his life to meningitis at the age of 23. He was from the same area as I am and it struck a cord deep within me - the magnitude of how ill I must’ve been as a two year old,” Emma told the Mail.

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“It really brought it home. I got my mummy to tell me the whole story again.

“She said that I had twelve hours to live yet I walked away with no after-effects. That is very rare for people with the more aggressive form. The doctors said that it was a miracle to survive nevermind to walk away without damage. There is no explanation.

“I decided to do the head shave as there remains a stigma to seeing a woman without hair - hair very much represents beauty, but I think it is representative of liberation and I feel like I got away scott free from the disease.

“If this means that someone else with the condition is caught even a few days earlier than they otherwise might have then it is worthwhile.

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“That could be all the difference between living and dying of meningitis,” said the practioner at Four Winds Holistic Centre, Rainbow Lighthouse.

You can support Emma by visiting her JustGiving page and searching for ‘Shear Perfection’.