Young boy passes away due to meningitis-related symptoms

BURGERSFORT – What seemed to be a bout of meningitis was brushed off by doctors as flu, this came after Highlands College’s Josaya Ruchiya (11) died of symptoms that corresponded to that of the deadly disease.The grade six died on January 22. According to the principal of Highlands, Ms Fatima Mahomed, the boy was well when he left school last Friday.”I heard from the parents that he had been suffering from ‘flu-like’ symptoms and his tragic death is now being investigated as a possible case of meningitis.The family at first suspected food poisoning, but the deceased’s younger brother – a grade R at Highlands College – also started experiencing the same symptoms.”Mahomed added that, “The grade R was treated at one of the local doctors who assumed that he could possibly be suffering from the disease.”According to the principal, the boy was rushed to Lydenburg Hospital where he was transferred to one of the hospitals in Mbombela.”I am urging locals to rush their kids to the doctor if they experience symptoms such as vomiting, flu, neck stiffness, and pain that makes it difficult to touch your chin to your chest, fever, severe and persistent headaches, confusion and disorientation, and sensitivity to bright light.”Steelburger/Lydenburg News contacted the father, Moses Ruchiya, who confirmed to the paper that his son had been discharged.”The school and our family feared that he might have been infected by the virus, but the doctors did their tests and he was cleared.”The deceased’s memorial was held in the Highlands College school hall yesterday. It was attended by his peers and family members.The Ruchiya family thanked the school management for its support during this time. Josaya was described as an intelligent, athletic and hard-working boy at the memorial.At the time of going to press, the paper had not yet received the autopsy report of Josaya’s death.