NORFOLK, Va. — The Virginia Department of Health is monitoring a community outbreak of bacterial meningitis in the eastern region of Virginia.
The same strain, according to the Norfolk Sheriff's Office is blamed for the death of Darryl Arnold, 41, who died at the hospital while in the custody of Norfolk City Jail last week.
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His mother, sister and twin brother shared with News 3's Jay Greene their grieving process and their search for answers.
"This is just too much for any mother to really bear," said Mary Arnold, Darryl's mother. "I guess no mother would understand this until they try or have to go through this themselves."
Darryl was booked into the jail on March 1, and his family says they talked with him on a daily basis.
The last time Mary heard from her son was the night of March 7. Following the call, Mary says her son shared with jail staff that we wasn't feeling well.
"He was having chills, and he was vomiting," Mary said. "And he had shortness of breath."
The sheriff's office in a press release said Darryl was awake, alert and speaking to staff upon moving him to the jail's medical ward. Jail staff said they were notified about Darryl just before 2:45 a.m. on March 8.
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Two hours later, the sheriff's office said jail staff transported Darryl to the hospital.
At 10 a.m. on March 8, the sheriff's office said Darryl died while at the hospital.
Darryl's sister, Latashia Person, said the family heard from the health department that he contracted bacterial meningitis.
The following Monday, March 11, the sheriff's office said the health department notified jail staff an inmate tested positive for bacterial meingitis, and that the inmate who tested positive "never returned to the jail."
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The emotions of losing a loved are painfully difficult for Darryl's family to describe.
"Nobody has really processed this. I think we just trying to cope with this," said Mary Arnold. "There's gonna be days that we spent as family time you know, loving up on each other...now we're gonna miss one."
His twin brother, Darrick Arnold, also expressed the gravity of the loss.
"I can't bring him back. We were in the womb together," Darrick Arnold said. "Every time I look in the mirror, I see me, but I see him. And I can't bring this man back."
As of Friday night, the sheriff's office said there are no confirmed cases of meningitis in the jail, and there are no longer any quarantines in place.
News 3 will continue to follow through on this story with more details as we get them. We are actively requesting more information from the Norfolk City Jail and Virginia Department of Health.
