Meningitis, amputation and beyond: Former Coventry student returns to area with memoir
A former Coventry High School student and Portage Lakes resident who made local headlines 32 years ago when she lost her legs from the knee down to meningitis will return to the Akron area on Monday for a book signing.
Kelley Shinn, who contracted bacterial meningitis in May 1991, nearly died from the rare infection that was originally misdiagnosed.
At first, her pain was determined to be psychological and she was sent back home. The next day, however, a spinal tap at then-Akron City Hospital revealed the infection. She wasn't expected to survive the night.
Only 20% of individuals who contracted the rare form of meningitis survived the infection at the time.
She made a quick physical recovery and returned to school months ahead of schedule, where she became editor of the school newspaper and ran for class president.
Shinn later moved out of the area, eventually settling on Ocracoke Island in North Carolina. In 2019, she lost one of her prosthetic legs in the ocean during Hurricane Dorian.
More: Former Coventry Township woman who lost legs to meningitis encounters another tragedy in new home
Her memoir, The Wounds that Bind Us, recounts her experiences before and after her battle with meningitis, including her efforts on behalf of land mind survivors.
There are many scenes from the Akron area in the book, Shinn says.
Her tour includes a stop at the Perkins Stone Mansion on Sept. 11. The book-signing is hosted by the Summit County Historical Society.
She's also making appearances at Fireside Books in Chagrin Falls and the Cleveland Heights Public Library.
Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 32 years after near-fatal infection, Coventry High student tells story
