A heartbroken mum fought back the tears on Friday’s BBC Breakfast as she opened up about the loss of her son after he fell ill with meningitis B earlier this year.

The current outbreak of the infection in Kent, which was identified between 13 and 16 March, has caused huge concern for many around the country. 

Deniz Mills appeared on the latest episode of BBC Breakfast to raise awareness about the illness, after her son Aaron, 18, died in January after contracting the infection.

An emotional Deniz, who helps fundraise for the the Meningitis Now charity, said: ‘It was just devastating. You don’t expect to lose your healthy 18-year-old to a disease that they could be vaccinated against. 

‘It’s turned our life upside down.’ 

Aaron, who was studying sports science and football and Liverpool John Moores University, woke up with a headache, which was followed by a seizure. 

A heartbroken mum fought back the tears on Friday's BBC Breakfast as she opened up about the loss of her son after he fell ill with meningitis B earlier this year

A heartbroken mum fought back the tears on Friday’s BBC Breakfast as she opened up about the loss of her son after he fell ill with meningitis B earlier this year

Deniz Mills appeared on the latest episode of BBC Breakfast to raise awareness about the illness, after her son Aaron, 18, (pictured) died in January after contracting the infection

Deniz Mills appeared on the latest episode of BBC Breakfast to raise awareness about the illness, after her son Aaron, 18, (pictured) died in January after contracting the infection

He was given antibiotics, but was then rushed to Worcester hospital and they had to go to Coventry hospital to drain fluid from his brain. 

Recalling what had happened, Deniz said: ‘I thought Aaron was getting better, the antibiotics had kicked in, I later found out by the time Aaron had got to Worcester hospital, he had lost most of his basic brain functions.

‘That’s how quickly it took hold. We were told by the surgeon, after the operation, they did everything that they could.

‘It was not lucky that Aaron was going to survive because his brain was too swollen.

‘That was within 12 hours of me speaking to Aaron in the living room that morning, and Aaron was declared dead on Saturday 3rd of January. 

‘There was no sign of life. He was brain dead.’ 

The reporter stated that to pay for a full course of vaccines to protect against the infection is around £220 – and Deniz said that she would have paid for it, if she knew that it existed.

‘If it would have saved my son’s life, I would have paid it. If I’d have known about it, he would have had it,’ Deniz said. 

‘If your child was born before 2015, they haven’t had this vaccine, it is out there.

‘I know it’s a lot of money, but I recommend you going to do it.’ 

It comes after a Good Morning Britain guest revealed on Wednesday’s episode of the ITV show how her daughter was left fighting for her life after contracting meningitis B at the ‘super spreader’ nightclub.  

The outbreak, which appears to stem from Club Chemistry nightclub in Canterbury, has already killed sixth-form pupil Juliette Kenny, 18, and a 21-year-old University of Kent student. 

Khali Goodman spoke to presenters Ed Balls and Susanna Reid about her 21-year-old daughter Keeleigh’s condition, who fell ill last week after attending the night club on March 12.    

Explaining the lead up to her hospitalisation, Khali told the broadcasters: ‘She woke up, she didn’t feel quite well on the Saturday morning. She rang into work and obviously said that she wouldn’t be making it.  



‘As the day progressed, she rang me, she said she felt really ill with this headache, she was very tired.

‘I don’t think her bones were hurting quite so bad, but they were aching a little bit. She had been sick. So I assumed it might have been Covid or something.

‘I suggested that she drink lots of water, go back to sleep, just take it easy. 

‘Later on, hours later, she rang me back and said it’s getting worse and worse.  Her head, she said that she’s never felt pain like it.

‘Her neck, her body was completely stiff, she couldn’t even sleep through the pain. She was being sick. 

‘She was soaking wet where she was sweating.

‘She went to the bathroom, she had a seizure, as she fell, she banged her head, she’s got cuts on her face where she might have hit something on the way down, and luckily her housemate that she lives with, found her and rang an ambulance.’   

The number of cases of meningitis linked to the escalating Kent outbreak has risen to 29, health officials revealed today after a further two infections were confirmed.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in its daily update this morning that 18 cases had now been confirmed and a further 11 were under investigation.

Some 13 of the 18 confirmed cases are known to be caused by meningitis B (menB), and all cases have required hospital admission. Today’s total of 29 is an increase from the 27 reported yesterday, 20 on Wednesday, 15 on Tuesday and 13 on Monday.