A teenager who told his mother he had a headache died five days later from meningococcal meningitis, prompting a government policy change on vaccination. Aaron Mills, 18, passed away on January 3, 2026, after his condition rapidly deteriorated.
The Final Days
Aaron, a football science student at Liverpool John Moores University, had returned to his family home in Kidderminster for the Christmas holidays. On December 29, he felt groggy but seemed fine, watching a film with his family. The next morning, he told his mother he had a headache, took paracetamol, and went back to bed. Within half an hour, he suffered a seizure and was rushed to hospital.
According to his father, Anthony Mills, "There were no warning signs that something was serious. We didn’t stand a chance. It went from a headache to a seizure, and he never recovered from that seizure." Aaron was diagnosed with meningococcal group B (MenB) meningitis.
Campaign for Vaccination
After Aaron's death, his family discovered he had not received the MenB vaccine, which is not routinely offered to young people in the UK. A vaccine for meningococcal ACWY is offered in schools, which Aaron had received. However, MenB bacteria can cause serious illness, and living in shared university accommodation increases the risk of transmission, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
Anthony Mills began emailing MPs and secured a meeting with Sharon Hodgson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Health and Social Care. The government subsequently agreed to offer the MenB vaccine this summer to Year 13 students and under-25s starting university or moving into residential further education settings for the first time in autumn.
Organ Donation and Tributes
Aaron's family allowed his organs to be donated. Around 300 people attended his funeral, all wearing a Liverpool FC top in his memory. Kidderminster Harriers, his local football team, paid tribute with a standing ovation in the 18th minute and presented his friends with a signed shirt bearing "AARON 18".
His father described him as a "shining light" who "always made people welcome." Aaron was a talented footballer, coach, and referee, and dreamed of working as part of the coaching staff at Liverpool FC.
Charity Run in His Memory
Friends and family are organizing a 100-mile charity run from Aggborough Stadium in Kidderminster to Anfield in Liverpool, taking place over five days in September. The run starts on Wednesday, September 16 at 9am and ends on Sunday, September 20. Close family friend Shaun McEntee will run the entire distance, with others joining parts of the route. Participants will stop at Byrom Point, where staff and students from LJMU will join, before finishing at the Shankly Gates at Anfield.
Anthony Mills said, "It is a poignant journey, doing it from Aggborough to Anfield." He hopes to secure official support from Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool FC. A fund in Aaron's memory has been set up for donations.
