By Kerrie Lush
It has been nearly one year since Renmark’s three-year-old Jazmyn Parkyn was struck down by Meningococcal B disease.
Now her parents, Aaron and Sarah, are on a mission to inform others of the potentially deadly disease by lobbying to have its vaccine added to the National Immunisation Register.
“It just looked like she had the flu, but she was so sensitive in her legs and that’s why I took her to the doctors,” Sarah says.
A few hours later, Jazmyn was flown to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide, receiving treatment for Meningococcal B.
Jazmyn was flown to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital for Meningococcal B.
She spent three days in the Intensive Care Unit and four weeks in hospital while their family helped with the care of their two older children back in Renmark.
Friends were also incredibly supportive, even setting up a GoFundMe page to help the Parkyn’s out with the associated expenses.
“I was just so humbled that people did that for us… the community has been great,” Sarah says.
But it wasn’t until after Jazmyn’s diagnosis that Aaron and Sarah were disappointed to learn Meningococcal B was not on the National Immunisation Register. Jazmyn was covered for Meningococcal C, but not the B-strain.
They looked into it further and found the vaccine would cost about $250 to administer.
To prevent other families from having to go through a similar situation, Aaron and Sarah have been working tirelessly to get the B-strain vaccine on the schedule.
Jazmyn’s parents, Aaron and Sarah, have been working hard to get the B-strain vaccine on the schedule
A petition was widely circulated and gathered more than 3,500 signatures before being presented to Federal Parliament with the assistance of local member Tony Pasin.
An online petition attracted support from a further 5,000 people.
There are about 200 cases of Meningococcal B diagnosed in Australia each year.
The disease can cause disabilities ranging from sight and hearing problems, liver and kidney failure, loss of fingers, toes and limbs and scarring caused by skin grafts.
“Jazzy really was an exception because she didn’t lose any limbs,” Aaron says.
“It’s because they got onto it quickly and she reacted well to the medication… we were also lucky because her symptoms presented during the day when we were able to notice them,” he adds.
The Parkyn family sticks together through the hard times
Sarah attended the Adelaide Pregnancy Babies and Children’s Expo in April this year, volunteering her time on the Meningococcal Australia stand, an organisation she has been in close contact with since Jazmyn’s diagnosis.
She says they were extremely well supported by visitors to the expo.
“People were seeking us out to find out more about the immunisations available,” Sarah says.
Sarah and Aaron still regularly commute to Adelaide for Jazmyn’s specialist appointments. She also has regular physiotherapy sessions to help with her recovery.
A smiling Jazymn is recovering slowly
“It’s going to be an ongoing thing for Jazmyn,” Aaron says.
“People probably don’t realise that as they see how well she looks now, but it’s still going to be a long track for her. The doctors just don’t know – they can’t test to see how she is going to be affected in the future,” he says.
In the meantime, the Parkyn family will continue to spread the word about the disease.
The next project is a fun run in Renmark in April next year, with all proceeds going to Meningococcal Australia.
“I wanted a way to raise money, get the community involved and provide a fun day out for families. We’re also trying to raise as much awareness as we can about the disease,” Sarah says.
Find out more about Jazymn’s meningococcal B journey. Registrations for Jazymn’s Fun Run are now open.
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