UCC meningitis victim Grainne laid to rest
The funeral took place in Cahir, Co Tipperary, yesterday of a 20-year-old student who died suddenly of meningitis,
Grainne O’Donnell, an Arts student at University College Cork, passed away at Cork University Hospital last Thursday.
Instead of flowers, her family asked for donations, to the Hope Foundation, the charity in Calcutta, India where she volunteered during her summer holidays.
The Cahir supermarket where Gráinne worked shut for yesterday’s funeral for a co-worker who management described as having “a fantastic attitude towards work and customers alike”.
Public health officials have advised students that further cases of meningitis at UCC are unlikely, but anyone concerned that they may have symptoms should seek immediate medical care.
“It is important to be aware of the symptoms of this illness. These include headache, high temperature, vomiting, neck pain, dislike of bright lights, a red purple rash which does not fade on pressure, and dizziness,” said the letter from HSE South’s public health department being distributed to all UCC students.
A minute’s silence was observed in Gráinne’s memory before the start of UCC rugby side’s match with Naas in Cork on Saturday.
