Posted Tuesday, March 17, 2009 -- 4:30 pm

A bowl of frosting is suspected of infecting three Appleton high school students with bacterial meningitis. All three continue to recover, but a local family is highlighting the need for education after losing a loved one to the disease.

The story of 22-year-old Erik Baxter is the story of a life full of promise -- cut short. It's a story his sister, second-grade teacher Emily Clevenstine has learned is a familiar one.

"That I think has been helpful to know that it does affect so many different kinds of people because I truly wasn't aware until I started doing more research myself."

Erik died suddenly in February of last year from a strain of bacterial meningitis for which there is no vaccination. NBC 15 interviewed his mother and sister in August as kids were heading back to school.

"I said I did all of the vaccines... everything you're supposed to do before they went to college .. how could this be," his mother said at the time.

Another Wisconsin family, the Werners, noticed the online version of the story. The Werner family had established this foundation in memory of their 20-year-old daughter, Becky, who died from bacterial meningitis in 2004. Becky's mother, DeeDee left a comment at nbc15.com in support of Erik's loved ones.

"My mom found her email from that and she emailed her and then they got a conversation going and just sort of formed a relationship from there."

They also formed a partnership. The two families will take part in a 5K walk this April, as part of World Meningitis Day... which happens to fall on what would've been Erik Baxter's 24th birthday.

"We think it's a very good way to memorialize and honor his memory," Clevenstine says.

Doctors say bacterial meningitis is uncommon, compared to viral meningitis.

To learn more about symptoms, free presentations to Wisconsin schools and the walks happening next month, check out the web sites below.
http://www.stampoutmeningitis.com/
http://www.comoonline.org/

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Posted Wednesday, August 20 --- 5:30pm

It's almost time to head back to school -- and back to the doctor's office. Doctors recommend adolescents and college freshmen get vaccinated against meningitis. But one family has learned how suddenly this deadly disease can strike.

"He loved to read," Ruthann Baxter-Cutting says of her son.

22-year-old Erik Baxter was an aspiring writer himself.

"And he loved Shakespeare and T.S. Eliot," Erik's sister, Emily Clevenstine, says.

The UW Madison grad was working toward becoming a published author when he got sick in February.

His mother says it started with a sore throat, which he had checked.
"Everything came up negative," his mom says.

In less than a week, Erik had gone to an immediate care office twice. He was diagnosed with a sinus infection on a Monday.

"Then he called me Monday night and he had a fever."

The next day, Erik reported a severe headache.

"On Wednesday, he called and he sounded a whole lot better."

Erik was taking antibiotics, but when his mom called on Thursday, he never answered.

"And I never heard from him the rest of the day."

By Friday, Erik Baxter was found dead in his room.

"It was that quick," his mom says.

Family say the coroner determined Erik died from strep pneumonia, a bacterial form of meningitis.

"I said I did all of the vaccines... everything you're supposed to do ... before they went to college. How could this be?"

Fast forward six months...

"We know meningitis is the big one."

Erik's big sister, an educator herself, contacted NBC 15 after watching an interview about vaccinations.

"I thought it was important to educate people."

Erik died from a type of bacterial meningitis for which there is no vaccination.

"People need to know if you get the vaccine, there are strains that are not covered by it."

Dr. Ellen Wald is a pediatric infectious disease specialist. She says bacterial meningitis is uncommon, compared to viral meningitis, but it can be deadly. Wald did not treat Erik but says it's possible he developed meningitis sometime after his 2nd visit to immediate care.

"If you feel you're not recovering in a time frame in which you should be getting better ... that's the time to continue to seek medical care even if you've already been to the doctor."

Though Erik leaves his writings unfinished, his family says his story is worth sharing. Dr. Wald says another type of bacterial meningitis, which seems to affect young people -- who live in close quarters -- is covered by the vaccine.