'He was just too good to go' - Mother who lost son to meningitis warns of hangover-like symptoms

• The family of a Bristol teenager who died from meningitis is appealing for other young people to get vacinnated, as ITV West Country's Katherine Cenaj reports.

The family of a Bristol teenager who died from meningitis, just weeks after his 16th birthday, is urging other young people to get vaccinated.

Ryan Bresnahan was a sports scholar at Clifton College when he woke up one morning, complaining to his mum that he was exhausted.

Just hours later, Ryan died after being rushed to Bristol Royal Infirmary, where it was found that he contracted Meningitis B.

His mum, Michelle, described the moments before his death as an "out of body experience".

“I cannot put into words what that felt like, like it was somebody else in the ambulance", she said.

"I remember very clearly being in the ambulance and everyone else’s world was carrying on as we were driving down to the hospital and our world was going to stop.

"We knew then really that there wasn’t much else they could do."

This year would have been Ryan's 30th birthday, and Michelle said she can't help but wonder what her son would have been like.

"This is a big year for us, like any milestone it makes you focus on how you’re feeling at that particular time but also thinking about what Ryan would be doing.

"Would he be married? Lots of his friends are getting married. It’s a really changing period for anyone.

"He was so warm and funny. He was obviously 16, so he was trying to be cool but, actually, quietly, he was very considerate, very kind, charming and talented."

Following Ryan's sudden death, his family set up 'Life for a Cure', a charity to raise awareness of the dangers of meningitis for teenagers and young adults.

Michelle said: "I remember at the time thinking healthy young boys don’t get that, babies and toddlers get meningitis - not strapping lads.

"When Ryan died, which was now 14 years ago, we felt at the time that there was very little focus on the second most at risk age group which is the 15-25 year olds. That’s why we set up 'Life for a Cure'.

"The other charities at the time focused on babies and toddlers, and Ryan was so vibrant and so charismatic that we wanted to do something in recognition of that.

"Our goal since then has been to raise awareness in young adults."

1 in 4 people aged between 15-24 carry the bacteria that causes meningitis at the back of their throats in comparison to 1 in 10 in the general population, putting them at a higher risk of catching the disease.

This, coupled with the close-socialising and mixing at colleges and universities, can make for a deadly mix.

Health experts are encouraging freshers going to university to ensure they've taken up the offer of the MenACWY jab - which protects against four strains of the infection.

In England, all students are offered the vaccine in year 9 or 10 at school. However, it is also available to those who missed it, up until their 25th birthday.

Yolanta Bernatoniene, Paediatrics Infectious Disease Consultant at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, said: "The vaccines have been very effective at reducing cases of meningitis and saving thousands of lives as a result.

"It can strike very quickly and kill within hours so it’s very important to know the signs and symptoms of meningitis.

"The initial signs and symptoms are very similar to that of flu like headaches, muscle aches, body elevated temperature with cold hands and feet, sleepiness and generally feeling unwell.

"It’s very difficult to know the difference between flu and meningitis so if someone is ill and getting worse, you need to get medical help."

To mark Ryan's 30th birthday, his sister, Charlotte, is walking the entire South West Coast Path in 30 days in his honour.

She said: "I wouldn’t say that I’m much of an emotional person, but I’ve got quite emotional on this walk, thinking a lot about my brother and and what it means to me and trying to make him proud.

"Some days it’s harder than others, but it’s been so well received. The minute I tell people the reason I’m doing it, and that I’m trying to complete it in 30 days for 30 years, it really resonates with people."

Charlotte said she hopes the challenge will help her raise awareness of the infection and the vaccines available.

She said: "I want to raise awareness and money for vaccinations so that the loss of Ryan comes to something and that there’s a meaning and purpose and we can avoid it happening to other young, amazing lives, as it did to Ryan."