UW-Madison student and former UW Spirit Squad member Tommy Kuehn died of bacterial meningitis at a Madison hospital Thursday.
Kuehn thought he was sick with a cold, but when his condition worsened, he went to the hospital. When Kuehn was brought to the hospital, he had a seizure that rendered him unconscious. He never woke up after it, according to Assistant Cheer Director Jerry Wheeler.
""There wasn't any warning. He was in good spirits, but then things got progressively worse,"" said Wheeler.
Kuehn, originally from Stoughton, Wisc., will be remembered fondly by family and friends.
""Tommy was an extremely upstanding, bright young guy. He was funny,"" said Wheeler. ""He was the kind of guy that makes a great friend for anyone.""
There were six cases of meningitis in Dane County in 2010, one of which resulted in the death of UW-Madison senior Neha Suri on Feb. 2, 2010.
Bacterial meningitis is a rare but sometimes fatal disease that is caused by an inflammation of protective membrane covering the spinal cord and brain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
