Emily Stillman's Funeral Tuesday; Fund Established in Andover Graduate's Memory

The family of former Andover High School student Emily Stillman will establish a fund to help research and develop a cure for bacterial meningitis.

Stillman, of West Bloomfield, died Sunday after a brief hospitalization from the disease in Kalamazoo, where she attended Kalamazoo College. She was 19.

Family and friends will gather for a funeral service followed by burial at 10 a.m. Tuesday, at the Dorfman Chapel, 30440 W. 12 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills, according to the Chapel's website. Among them will be a bus-load of Kalamazoo College students that left campus early Tuesday morning, Mlive.com reported. 

The family is in the process of establishing a special fund to find a cure for bacterial meningitis, according to Stillman's obituary. Until finalized, Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield will accept donations on Stillman's behalf at 3999 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323, or by calling 248-737-8700.

Stillman is survived by her parents, Alicia and Michael Stillman, brother Zachary Stillman and sister Karly Stillman.

A Quick Killer

Stillman was hospitalized and diagnosed with the disease early Friday morning. As her death illustrates, bacterial meningitis cases are often quick and severe. The disease causes inflammation of the protective tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord, and can be extremely contagious, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is spread through the direct exchange of bodily fluids such as saliva in close, personal contact with an infected person.

Infection may show up in a person by a sudden onset of fever, headache, and stiff neck. It will often have other symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light and confusion. Symptoms can appear quickly or typically develop within a week after exposure.

Stillman lived in on campus at Crissey Residence Hall, but no other cases were reported as of Monday. Kalamazoo College administered medication to roughly three dozen faculty, staff and students who said they were within three feet of Stillman in the week before her diagnosis, college spokesman Jeff Palmer told Mlive.com Monday afternoon.

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