Medical Bills Piling Up For OSU Student With Meningitis

Thursday, March 22nd 2007, 8:26 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ An Oklahoma State University student with bacterial meningitis is recovering at an Oklahoma City hospital, but his mother wonders about how her son will be able to pay mounting medical bills.

Beatrice Etemadi says her 22-year-old son, Chris, does not have medical insurance. He first was hospitalized in Stillwater before being moved to Oklahoma City.

Chris Etemadi is working at a Stillwater bar, trying to pay his way through college.

His mother says that he did not receive a meningitis vaccination earlier this year after another case of the illness was reported on the OSU campus because he did not live in an on-campus facility.

OSU spokesman Gary Shutt says about half of the university's incoming freshman opt out of on-campus dormitory rules to be vaccinated against bacterial meningitis.

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