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ATHENS-Mayor Ronnie Marks has designated Sept. 23, 2013, as Meningitis Awareness Day in the City of Athens. With him are Talbot Elkins, holding a photo of his daughter Jessica Elkins, Jessica’s brother Michael Elkins, and Jessica’s mother Michelle Elkins. Not pictured is Jessica’s sister Emilee.
On Dec. 26, 2007, Jessica was a freshman at Athens High School when she died from meningitis. Sept. 23 would have been her 21st birthday.
Since Jessica’s death, her family and friends have held two free meningitis vaccination clinics in Athens and have supported a scholarship in her memory for an Athens High senior. The family will have a booth at the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention on Oct. 4-5 to hand out educational material on meningitis.
To find out more, visit The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s meningitis page at www.cdc.gov/meningitis/ index.html.