Overview

• Lucas Martin, 21, died in September 2023 less than a week after developing a headache and fever that his family assumed were freshers’ flu.
• He reportedly lacked hallmark signs like a rash or light sensitivity, later became confused, was taken to hospital, diagnosed with meningitis, placed in an induced coma and died days later.
• Brother Connor Martin is publicly urging university-age people not to dismiss concerning symptoms and to seek medical care promptly.
• Coverage underscores that teenagers and first-year students face elevated risk for meningococcal disease, with around 3,200 bacterial cases a year and roughly a one-in-10 fatality rate.
• The family is promoting a charity in Lucas’s name after his recent graduation from the University of Liverpool, using his story to raise awareness.