A LOVING Greenock son has paid a poignant tribute to his mum who passed away suddenly after being struck down by meningitis at the age of 52.

Brian McLaughlin was devastated when his mum Caroline died after developing bacterial meningitis - the infection of protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, something which is most commonly associated with young people and children.

The 30-year-old is now using the heartbreak he suffered to help save the lives of others.

He has launched a fundraising campaign to help the Meningitis Research Foundation.

Brian, from Gateside Gardens, told the Tele: “I want to raise awareness of meningitis and warn people to be vigilant and get checked out if they have any symptoms.

“Meningitis can happen to anyone, my mum is proof of that.

“I didn’t know anything about meningitis so it was a shock when we were told that was what she had.

“Obviously you then read up on it and realise that the signs and symptoms all matched up.”

Caroline was a very caring and friendly person who had worked as a home help for Inverclyde Council and latterly was devoted to looking after her grandson Ben.

But in November 2011 Brian said himself, his dad Brian and his sister Lynsey’s lives were turned upside down.

He said: “I went up to visit her at home and she was very dazed and looked right through me.

“She was very withdrawn.

“We phoned an ambulance and she was taken to the intensive care unit at the Inverclyde Royal Hospital.

“We had no idea what was going on.”

Within a matter of hours, Caroline’s condition worsened and she had to be taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) in Paisley where she was admitted to the high dependency unit.

Brian added: “My uncle had gone up to see her the first night she was taken to hospital and he warned us to expect a phone call during the night with bad news.

“We did get a phone call and we went up there at 2am when she was sent for scans.

“The next morning my mum was taken to the RAH where she was put on life support.”

After four days in hospital, Caroline sadly lost her fight for life.

Brian said: “We were all devastated.

“We were told that my mum probably had bacterial meningitis and that was later confirmed in a post mortem.”

Since his mum passed away, Brian - with support from his family and friends - has been on a mission to raise money and awareness of the Meningitis Research Foundation.

He added: “People donated money at my mum’s funeral so we donated about £500 to the charity and £500 to the RAH.

“From then,  I decided that I wanted to do something else for the charity so I completed the London to Paris cycle.”

Brian’s efforts raised over £2,800 for the charity in his mum’s memory.

He added: “It was quite painful but I’m a determined person.

“People with meningitis and their families go through much more pain, so I thought ‘it’s only four days, I’ll go for it’.”

During the gruelling cycle, Brian says the thought of his mum pulled him through.

He said: “One day we had cycled about 14-15 hours and we were about two miles away from the hotel.

“I was struggling but I saw a sign which said ‘maw’ on it.

“I used to jokingly call my mum ‘maw’ for fun because she didn’t like it.

“It spurred me on to complete the cycle.”

Brian is now looking at walking the Great Wall of China for the charity.

Mary Millar, the Scotland Manager of Meningitis Research Foundation says she is delighted that Brian is raising money and awareness for the charity.

She said: “We’d like to thank Brian for his fantastic fundraising efforts.  

“There are around 3,200 cases of bacterial meningitis every year in the UK, with many people believing meningitis affects mainly babies and young children. 

“However it can strike anyone, of any age, at any time.

“Around 60 per cent of all cases occur in people over the age of 15, and adults who get bacterial meningitis are more than twice as likely to die compared with children. 

“It is a disease that can have someone fighting for their life within hours and can be hard to recognise, as the early symptoms are similar to those of many other milder illnesses. 

“Don’t be complacent if a loved one is sick; knowing the symptoms and acting fast can save a life.  If anyone has any concerns we urge you to trust your instincts and seek urgent medical advice from your local GP or hospital.”

Some of the symptoms of bacterial meningitis in adults include a fever, with cold hands and feet, vomiting, drowsiness and difficulty waking up, confusion and irritability, severe muscle pain, pale, blotchy skin, and a distinctive rash, although not everyone will have this.

Other signs are a severe headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to light and convulsion or seizures.

For more information go to www.meningitis.org