Amir’s story on survival from Pneumococcal Meningitis at 11 months old..

This story is about my 11 months old son, Amir on survival from Pneumococcal Meningitis. The full story you can click HERE.

1. I am so lucky to detact the illness early
2. I am so lucky that the fast action of hubby & I bring him to emergency save him
3. I am so lucky that I taken Prudential Medical Card for him as early as 14days old (when still in confinement)

Fact about Pneumococcal Meningitis:

What is pneumococcal disease?
Pneumococcal disease is a leading cause of serious illness in children and adults throughout the world. The disease is caused by a common bacterium, the pneumococcus, which can attack different parts of the body. When bacteria invade the lungs, they cause the most common form of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia; when bacteria invade the bloodstream, they cause bacteremia; and when they invade the covering of the brain, they cause meningitis. Pneumococci may also cause otitis media (middle ear infection) and sinusitis. Currently there are more than 90 known pneumococcal types; the ten most common types account for approximately 62 percent of invasive disease worldwide.

Who is at risk?
Anyone can get pneumococcal disease. But some groups are at particularly high risk for pneumococcal disease or its complications. These groups include persons aged 65 and older; individuals with weak immune systems due to cancer, leukemia, Hodgkin's disease or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); persons with sickle cell disease or without a functioning spleen; individuals who have a chronic illness such as lung, heart, and kidney disease, diabetes and alcoholism; persons living in special environments or communities, such as Alaskan Natives and certain American Indian populations; and residents of chronic or long-term care facilities.

How significant is pneumococcal disease?
Each year in the United States, there are an estimated 175,000 hospitalized cases of pneumococcal pneumonia; it is a common bacterial complication of influenza and measles. In addition, in terms of invasive disease, there are more than 50,000 cases of bacteremia and 3,000 to 6,000 cases of meningitis annually. Invasive disease bacteremia and meningitis is responsible for the highest rates of death among the elderly and patients who have underlying medical conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), invasive pneumococcal disease causes more than 6,000 deaths annually. More than half of these cases involve adults for whom vaccination against pneumococcal disease is recommended.

Can pneumococcal disease be prevented?
The best way to protect against pneumococcal disease is through vaccination. There are two types of pneumococcal vaccine currently available: a polysaccharide vaccine and a conjugate vaccine. The polysaccharide vaccine is used in adults and the conjugate vaccine is used in children. The polysaccharide has been available in the United States for more than 20 years. Yet in 2000, only 53 percent of those 65 years of age and older reported ever receiving the pneumococcal vaccine, according to "Health, United States 2002," a publication of the National Center for Health Statistics, published by the CDC. This falls short of the Healthy People 2010 goal of vaccinating 90 percent of adults 65 years of age and older against pneumococcal disease.
My baby Amir was addmitted in Damansara Specialist Hospital on 6 June 2011 - 20 June 2011. He was admitted 5 days in ICU and 10 days in normal ward. The bills was RM15,669.85 and thanks to Prudential for the medical card coverage.

Furthermore, Amir medical card also got hospital allowance RM200/day. So he was admitted 15days x RM200/day = RM3000.

So, mummy is waiting for Prudential to pay by cheque which normally takes 4 weeks from date of discharged. *wink ;p