A five-year-old boy whose family thought he had a stomach bug died just 24 hours after being diagnosed with meningitis.<\/p>\n
Jude Platts from Liverpool was born with a rare chromosome disorder which affected his ability to walk and speak. He also had autism.<\/p>\n
Despite his challenges, his family said he overcame all obstacles and had an ‘infectious personality’ and was obsessed with The Beatles<\/a>.<\/p>\n ‘Jude was a very special little boy who faced almost impossible challenges from the very start.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘However, he was a fighter who defied all predictions for his future, and together our family battled through every obstacle,’ said his brother,\u00a0Adam Platts, a 25-year-old engineer.<\/p>\n Over the Christmas<\/a> period, in December 2025, Jude began vomiting one day in the early hours of the morning.<\/p>\n He didn’t have a temperature or any other symptoms, so his family assumed he had a sickness bug.<\/p>\n Jude continued to vomit all morning and all afternoon, until things took a turn for the worse at around 8pm.<\/p>\n Five-year-old Jude Platts from Liverpool died 24 hours after being diagnosed with meningitis<\/p>\n<\/div>\n ‘Jude was a very special little boy who faced almost impossible challenges from the very start,’ said his family<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Out of nowhere, he began having a seizure, leading his family to call an ambulance.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n After examining Jude, doctors realised he had stopped breathing, and immediately admitted him to resus, where he was put in a medically induced coma.<\/p>\n Scans revealed that Jude had encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain, caused by a viral or bacterial infection.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n ‘They said they’d never seen an infection affect the brain so quickly and aggressively,’ said Jude’s elder brother.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcal) meningitis is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in children over one month old and adults across all ages.<\/p>\n There were nearly 300,000 cases globally in 2021, according to the National Institutes of Health.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jude is pictured with his elder brother,\u00a0Adam Platts, a 25-year-old engineer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Bacterial meningitis, which requires urgent hospital treatment, affects the membranes in the spinal cord and brain<\/p>\n<\/div>\n According to Meningitis Now, the UK\u2019s leading meningitis charity, the condition can be fatal within hours of infection, and\u00a0one in ten people who contract bacterial meningitis will die.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n Doctors performed more tests and treatments, but Jude failed to respond.<\/p>\n Mr Platts said: ‘Later that day, we received the worst news ever, that there was no brain activity at all from Jude.<\/p>\n ‘We made the decision to turn off life support, and he passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family\u00a0on New Year’s Eve.<\/p>\n ‘It was heartbreaking, Jude was so special to all of us.’<\/p>\n Mr Platts added: ‘Jude had an infectious personality, he could light up any room, he was always happy.<\/p>\n ‘He’s always been a fighter; he broke down every obstacle in his way.’<\/p>\n![\"Five-year-old](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2026\/02\/25\/09\/106660609-15590723-image-a-3_1772010684068.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"'Jude](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2026\/02\/25\/09\/106660615-15590723-image-a-2_1772010588838.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Jude](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2026\/02\/25\/10\/106660599-15590723-Jude_is_pictured_with_his_elder_brother_Adam_Platts_a_25_year_ol-a-1_1772015013808.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Bacterial](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2026\/02\/25\/08\/66492943-15590723-Bacterial_meningitis_which_requires_urgent_hospital_treatment_af-a-1_1772009917717.jpg\")
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