Mansfield College Student Survives Bacterial Meningitis and Shares Her Story of Strength

Adele Younis, a 20-year-old college student from Mansfield, is recovering after a terrifying battle with bacterial meningitis that left her in a coma for over a month and changed her life forever.

Back in March, while attending Emmanuel College in Boston, Adele suddenly fell seriously ill. What started as a normal day ended with her fighting for her life. Doctors diagnosed her with bacterial meningitis, a severe infection that inflames the outer lining of the brain and can spread through coughing or contact with bodily fluids.

“I woke up from surgery and my fingers and my foot were gone,” Adele said. The infection had reached her skin, causing damage that led to burns on her arms and the loss of several limbs. She spent five weeks in a coma at Boston Medical Center, and at one point, her family says, all of her major organs had shut down. “She was pretty much dead when she got there,” said her father, Yve Younis.

Despite being vaccinated, Adele’s case was extremely aggressive. According to Dr. Mary Hopkins of Tufts Medical Center, about 3,000 cases of bacterial meningitis occur in the U.S. each year, and up to 15% can be fatal.

Now back home, Adele goes to rehab three times a week as she works to relearn how to walk and regain her strength. She’s not letting her experience hold her back—instead, she sees it as a mission. “Doctors have called me a miracle. I think when you hit rock bottom like I did, you come back with something powerful to give others. I want to help people through their own dark times,” she said.

When she was released from the hospital, Mansfield police and firefighters gave her an emotional escort home, with friends and neighbors showing up to cheer her on. She still has a long road ahead, including getting prosthetics and returning to college, but she remains hopeful and incredibly thankful. “Without my family and friends, I wouldn’t have made it this far,” Adele said. “I’m very grateful.”

As for how people can support others going through tough times, Adele keeps it simple: “Go up to someone and acknowledge what they’ve been through. Just say, ‘I’m proud of you.’ That can mean everything.”