A Heartfelt Mission: The Birth of the PAMAH Foundation
The PAMAH Foundation was established in the wake of the tragic loss of Percilla Ann Marie April-Hodge to pneumococcal meningitis, a devastating event that transpired in less than a day. This personal heartache ignited our passion to raise awareness and support for those affected by similar sudden health crises.
Advocate, Educate, Vaccinate
Why We Started PAMAH
The PAMAH Foundation was created after our family experienced the devastating loss of Percilla Ann Marie April‑Hodge to pneumococcal meningitis in 2018.
- Her death happened in less than 24 hours.
- Three young children lost their mother.
- That loss changed our family forever.
- We realized that many people do not know the signs of meningitis or how quickly the disease can become fatal.
We also learned how critical prevention and vaccination awareness can be in protecting families and communities.
The PAMAH Foundation exists so that Percilla's story can help save lives.
Our mission is to raise awareness, support prevention efforts, and advocate for public health protections that reduce the impact of meningitis.
If sharing her story helps save even one life, her legacy continues.
ADVOCATE, EDUCATE, VACCINATE
Why It Matters
- Meningitis can progress extremely quickly Many families have never heard about the disease until tragedy strikes
- Survivors often face lifelong disabilities
- Vaccines are one of the most effective prevention tools available
- Community education is essential
- Every family deserves access to prevention and awareness
Vaccines don't just prevent disease. They prevent empty chairs at family tables.
“Can we give Mommy a mushroom so she can come back to life… like in Mario Kart?”
Korey Hodge
Percilla's Second Child
Why the Mushroom
At first glance, a mushroom may seem simple—small, quiet, even overlooked. But beneath the surface, it tells a much deeper story.
Mushrooms grow in the dark, in places where most things cannot. They thrive in difficult conditions, transforming what is broken down into something that gives life again. Beneath the soil, they are part of a vast, connected network—supporting, nourishing, and sustaining everything around them.
For the PAMAH Foundation, the mushroom is more than a symbol.
It is a story. It is love. It is legacy.
After the passing of Percilla Ann Marie April Hodge from pneumococcal meningitis, her family was faced with an unimaginable loss. Among those grieving was her young son, Korey.
When Korey’s father gently explained that his mommy was in heaven and would not be coming back, Korey—through the innocence and hope of a child—asked a question that would forever shape this foundation:
“Can we give Mommy a mushroom so she can come back to life… like in Mario Kart?”
In that moment, what could have been only sorrow became something more. It became a symbol of love, hope, and the deep desire to bring life back to someone we never wanted to lose.
Korey is also an artist, and from that place of love and imagination, he helped inspire the idea behind the PAMAH Foundation’s logo. The mushroom became a meaningful representation—not of bringing someone back—but of what we can still grow from loss.