Schoolboy, 14, dies from suspected meningitis 24 hours after falling ill while playing football

HEARTBROKEN parents of an ultra-fit teen footballer have issued a meningitis warning after he dropped down dead hours after playing in a match.

The devastated family of Tyler Garwood, 14, have urged other parents to be more vigilant in looking for symptoms of the deadly condition.

Devastated mum and dad Angela and Phil Garwood said Tyler expressed flu like symptoms.

Speaking at their Blakelaw home Phil said: “He was goalkeeper, after the first half he started shivering, he said he wasn’t feeling very well.

“I ran onto the pitch and put my coat on him and gave him a drink. He was vomiting when he was home.
“It was like the flu, I just tucked him up in bed.”

His condition worsened and Angela called an ambulance, but he died hours later.

She said: “I just gave him a kiss and said ‘I love you, I am just here’ then 10 minutes later they said his heart had stopped.

“I can’t express how much I miss him and love him, I wish I could trade places with him.

“He’s too young, just far too young.

“His football boots are still in the garage, his football is in the porch, his room’s upstairs. I can’t get my head around the idea he isn’t coming back, not at all.”

Tyler’s mum said there were no signs of a rash, as you would normally associate with meningitis, however when he reached the hospital his skin had started to marble purple and red.

The promising goalkeeper played football four or five times and was a regular for Ponteland United and for Gosforth Football Club.

Kenton School headteacher Sarah Holmes-Carne confirmed the cause of death was a strand of meningitis.

His parents described Tyler as a “typical teenager” with a large group of friends.

The school has said there is no heightened health risk and the local authority has provided NHS information to all pupils.

Close contacts of Tyler have been offered antibiotics as a precaution, Public Health England has said.

Dr Kirsty Foster from Public Health England has said that the tragic death of the teenager is a “sad reminder of how devastating this illness can be”.

She added: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the child who has died.

“It is crucial to be able to recognise the signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease and to get treatment as soon as possible.

“Meningococcal bacteria do not spread easily. Only people who have had prolonged, close contact with the ill person are at a slightly increased risk of becoming unwell and would be offered antibiotics as a precautionary measure.”