Local teenager raises awareness of Encephalitis after granny’s diagnosis

The awareness raising gesture is taking place due a request from Strabane teenager Naomi Hargan, whose beloved grandmother, Bridie was diagnosed with Encephalitis back in March 2019.

The Encephalitis Society (www.encephalitis.info) describes it as ‘an inflammation of the brain.’

“It is caused either by an infection invading the brain (infectious encephalitis) or through the immune system attacking the brain in error (post-infectious or autoimmune encephalitis).”

In Naomi’s grandmother’s case, her encephalitis came from the Herpes Simplex Virus - which causes coldsores.

She now has a brain injury as a result of her diagnosis and suffers from seizures.

She has been in hospital on quite a number of occasions and was last admitted in June last year.

She has remained in hospital since that time and Covid 19 restrictions now mean that her family can’t see her.

Naomi, who along with the rest of her family is extremely close to her grandmother, said this ha been ‘heartbreaking.’

Bridie was 74 when she was diagnosed and Naomi’s mother Jane told how her mother-in-law thought she was taking a cold or flu at the time.

“She was in bed all day. Naomi’s brother realised she was very confused and wasn’t making sense.

“Her GP was very concerned and sent her to hospital. That’s where we first heard the word encephalitis. We knew nothing about it before that.

“It’s devastating. She has a lot of seizures and has been in hospital for weeks and months at a time.

“She lives next door to us, so all the children would have visited their granny every day. The fact we can’t see her now is heartbreaking.”

As the illness has had such an impact on her family, Naomi wanted to do something to raise awareness and to pay tribute to her granny.

She saw a post on the Encephalitis Society social media page, which was looking for local landmarks to be lit up on the awareness day.

Naomi decided to contact Derry and Strabane District Council to ask if this could be done at their council offices in the city and district. She was ‘delighted’ when she received a response confirming they will be lit up.

Naomi’s cousin James O’Kane will also perform a show on his Facebook page, Jamesy O’Kane Music, to raise awareness.

The Encephalitis Society highlight how anyone, at any age, can get encephalitis.

“Any virus has the potential to produce encephalitis, but not everybody who is infected with these viruses will develop it.”

For more information on the condition see: www.encephalitis.info