Mason Timmins' Parents Share Image Of His Final Moments To Spread Word On Meningitis

The parents of a seven-year-old boy who died of meningitis have shared a photo of their son's final moments. They hope the image would help raise awareness of the deadly and highly contagious infection.

Mark Timmins and his wife Claire released the heartbreaking picture of their son Mason to support the petition calling for the wider availability of the meningitis B vaccine. The movement is currently demanding the UK's National Health Service to expand its free immunization coverage. As of the moment, only children below the age of one can avail of the subsidized vaccine, per The Guardian.

The aforementioned petition only had a few hundred signatures coming into 2016. However, the number spiked meteorically earlier this month after the parents of another meningitis B victim by the name of Faye Burdett, 2, posted a picture of her on her hospital bed moments before she passed away.

Sky News reported that the petition has already garnered over 700, 000 signatures. To put that in perspective, the British parliament only needs 100,000 signatures to consider tackling a public issue.

"All children are at risk from this terrible infection, yet the Government plan to only vaccinate two to five-month-olds," read an excerpt of the petition. "There needs to be a rollout programme to vaccinate all children, at least up to age 11. Meningococcal infections can be very serious, causing MENINGITIS, SEPTICAEMIA & DEATH."

Meningitis is a deadly and highly contagious infection that affects the brain and the spinal cord, according to Web MD. It is triggered by bacterial or viral infection originating from other parts of the body.

Bacterial meningitis is more serious of the two. If not treated immediately, it can lead to permanent brain damage and death.

In Mason Timmins' case, he succumbed to meningitis just one day after contracting the infection. His mother heard him coughing on a Monday morning. The following day, he was declared brain dead by doctors at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in Stoke-on-Trent.