Boy, 5, died just 24 hours after being diagnosed with meningitis: ‘We thought he had a tummy bug’
A five-year-old boy whose family thought he had a stomach bug died just 24 hours after being diagnosed with meningitis.
Jude Platts from Liverpool was born with a rare chromosome disorder which affected his ability to walk and speak. He also had autism.
Despite his challenges, his family said he overcame all obstacles and had an ‘infectious personality’ and was obsessed with The Beatles.
‘Jude was a very special little boy who faced almost impossible challenges from the very start.
‘However, he was a fighter who defied all predictions for his future, and together our family battled through every obstacle,’ said his brother, Adam Platts, a 25-year-old engineer.
Over the Christmas period, in December 2025, Jude began vomiting one day in the early hours of the morning.
He didn’t have a temperature or any other symptoms, so his family assumed he had a sickness bug.
Jude continued to vomit all morning and all afternoon, until things took a turn for the worse at around 8pm.
Five-year-old Jude Platts from Liverpool died 24 hours after being diagnosed with meningitis
‘Jude was a very special little boy who faced almost impossible challenges from the very start,’ said his family
Out of nowhere, he began having a seizure, leading his family to call an ambulance.
In the hospital, Jude’s seizure continued and he became paralysed down the left side of his body, leading doctors to think he may have had a stroke.
After examining Jude, doctors realised he had stopped breathing, and immediately admitted him to resus, where he was put in a medically induced coma.
Scans revealed that Jude had encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain, caused by a viral or bacterial infection.
He was rushed to the ICU for treatment, but a few hours later, at around 4am, doctors told the family that he was in an extremely critical condition and had just a five per cent chance of survival.
‘They said they’d never seen an infection affect the brain so quickly and aggressively,’ said Jude’s elder brother.
Later that day, Jude had an MRI scan, where it was confirmed he had streptococcal pneumonia meningitis, a very serious infection of the protective membranes (meninges) surrounding the brain and spinal cord that can cause death and long-term disability.
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcal) meningitis is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in children over one month old and adults across all ages.
There were nearly 300,000 cases globally in 2021, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Jude is pictured with his elder brother, Adam Platts, a 25-year-old engineer
Bacterial meningitis, which requires urgent hospital treatment, affects the membranes in the spinal cord and brain
According to Meningitis Now, the UK’s leading meningitis charity, the condition can be fatal within hours of infection, and one in ten people who contract bacterial meningitis will die.
Between 30 and 50 per cent of those who survive bacterial meningitis will be left with long-term after-effects, including hearing loss, acquired brain injury, epilepsy, chronic pain, vision problems and amputations.
Doctors performed more tests and treatments, but Jude failed to respond.
Mr Platts said: ‘Later that day, we received the worst news ever, that there was no brain activity at all from Jude.
‘We made the decision to turn off life support, and he passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on New Year’s Eve.
‘It was heartbreaking, Jude was so special to all of us.’
Mr Platts added: ‘Jude had an infectious personality, he could light up any room, he was always happy.
‘He’s always been a fighter; he broke down every obstacle in his way.’
The Platts family have launched a GoFundMe to create a bespoke resting place for Jude.
‘We don’t want a generic gravestone, we want to go all out, and make sure he is remembered, Mr Platts said.
