Jacob Brown
6 months old
Jacob was just six-months-old when he died on 5th October 2005. Alex and Ben noticed Jacob's temperature was slightly high but, like most parents, put it down to teething.
When his temperature got worse the couple called up their local doctor to come to the house, but he never arrived. Alex noticed two angry red spots on his stomach and she immediately suspected meningitis. The spots didn't fade when she pushed a glass against his skin so they hurriedly rushed Jacob to hospital.
Alex said: "Sadly, it would not have made a difference whether the doctor turned up or not, as meningitis spreads so quickly in small children that by the time the rash develops it is often too late. We rushed Jacob to Great Ormond Street Hospital but, despite the efforts of the staff, he died four hours later."
Talking of her involvement with Meningitis UK, Alex said: "Following Jacob's death, Ben and I were looking for a way to make a difference. Other meningitis charities concentrate on providing help in bereavement, but our grief was a private matter. We wanted to find a way to give a purpose to Jacob's death, and Meningitis UK has helped support us in that aim."
Ben and Alex have since had a baby girl called Amelie and together with family and friends, they have raised over £17,000 for Meningitis UK in Jacob's memory.
Alex has held exhibitions of her photography and art work, donating 25 % to the charity. She added: "My art is very much a form of therapy for me and so is fundraising. Photography is something that I have always had an interest in, but after Jacob's death I found that photography became a way to work through my emotions. Raising funds for Meningitis UK in this manner is a positive way for me to contribute to an excellent charity.
"It is important to make sure that in the future parents will not go through what we have. Finding a vaccine that will save lives - that is the goal."
MeningitisUK · Registered Charity No.1076774