Devin's story   — cheri allen, NC, USA

My son Devin was born in 1992 at 40 weeks after a pretty normal pregnancy. On July 5th, my membranes ruptured at about noon. I called the Maternity Ward and was told to come on to the hospital so they could check to see if I was in labor. I did not feel like I was in labor. I was 19 years old and not very aware of what protocol to take. I went to the hospital at about 8:00 that evening. My membranes had ruptured, but I was not in labor. The hospital waited until the next morning to call my OBGYN, and then started my labor. Devin was born at 1:07 p.m. He seemed healthy until the following morning when he began having seizures. After a couple of tests, Devin was flown to a children's hospital where he was diagnosed with Group B strep meningitis. They didn't expect him to survive the night. The nurse kissed him goodbye when her shift ended because she knew he would not be there the next morning. Devin survived that night. As a matter of fact, he turned 12 this past July. He had a shunt placed when he was 2 1/2 and has had one revision. Devin is developmentally delayed and attends public school working on a third-fourth grade level while in the sixth grade. He plays percussion in the school band and is the most amazing, kindest, and most generous person I know. Thank you for sharing Jesse's experience and life with us. I am so happy to have found someone who knows what this is like. God Bless You!!