“He died in a few hours”: a mother tells her the death of her son, a victim of meningitis

“Aurélien was 18 years old.” In 2013, Annie Hamel lost her son of meningitis. A disease that has killed several people in recent weeks in France, and that experienced a particularly important circulation in early 2025.

While the young man studied at Lille, Aurélien had not shown any sign of this disease according to his mother, who testifies at the BFMTV set on Tuesday, February 18: “They had told us Monday, it was in perfect health. Suppose The first signals the next day … “.

“He died in a few hours in his room on Thursday, the day his partials had to pass,” explains his mother.

“The day before, I spoke 45 minutes with him”

If the death of the young Aurélien took place 13 years ago, continuous meningitis hit her. Recently, a three -year -old boy in Drôme and a 17 -Year -of teenager in Narbonne… This disease is one of the meningococcal infections that, according to the Pasteur Institute, “a high mortality rate (10%) and a strong epidemic potential.”

“At age 18, we don’t die (…) The day before, I spoke 45 minutes with him,” laments Annie Hamel, who had an argument that his son had with a friend, where he had “identified signs.”

After the death of his son, Anne Hamel decided to join the Petit Ange Board Association against meningitis, to help raise awareness as much as possible about this disease. “We talk about that very little, and we know that the French are very afraid of this disease,” said the mother.

A pathology that remains very transmitted

For Aurel Guedj, BFMTV consultant, meningitis remains a pathology that is not very transmitted. “You have to be in front of the person to a meter for a while. You have to spit the person and for a long time,” he explains.

Today, Annie Hamel wishes to raise awareness about the dangers of this disease: “We must urgently go to schools, schools and universities and vaccinate,”

In total, more than 500 cases were identified between January and November 2024, according to the Institut Pasteur, against 298 cases between January and September 2019. A clear resurgence since today exceeds the number of those registered in the period of acid.