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Amy pedals out to beat meningitis

29.06.10 

WARWICK mum Amy Kilpatrick is preparing to pedal 297 miles between London and Paris to mark her remarkable recovery from meningitis.

The 32-year-old fell ill with the deadly disease last year and has been training hard for the challenge on July 16, from which she hopes to raise £2,000 for Meningitis UK.

She was battling the brain bug in Warwick Hospital at the same time as her son Finn was being treated for suspected meningitis in the paediatric ward.

Luckily Finn, who was almost one at the time, was given the all clear and doctors ruled out the disease.

But the traumatic period in February last year has prompted Amy to do something positive to help protect others from meningitis in the future.

Amy said: "People don't normally associate meningitis with adults but I've since learnt that it can strike anyone at any time.

"I hadn't felt well for a couple of days but then the other symptoms emerged quite quickly. I just remember having an excruciating headache, it was unlike anything I can explain but it woke me up in the night and had me in tears.

"I was really sensitive to lights and had a stiff neck and fever. My husband Rich rushed me to hospital where I went downhill quite quickly.

"It seemed to come on with a vengeance and they treated me with antibiotics straight away which saved my life.

"Finn had been unwell too so we took him in and he was treated in the paediatric ward. It was a horrible situation because I wanted to help him but was so ill myself."

Amy was in hospital for a week and off work for a further five weeks as she recovered. She continued to have headaches for the following six months and suffered from migraines in addition to temporarily losing her sense of smell.

Amy, who works as a charity fundraiser herself, is now looking forward to the London to Paris bike ride.

She said: "I've been doing a lot of training, not just on my bike but on the cross trainer and doing a lot of different sports.

"I've got a couple of 40 mile bike rides under my belt. I wanted to do it for a cause close to my heart because I cannot believe how lucky I was to pull through without any after-effects."

Money raised from Amy's fundraising efforts will go towards Meningitis UK's Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign. It aims to raise £7million to fund vital research into developing a vaccine against all forms of meningitis.

Steve Dayman, who founded Meningitis UK after his son Spencer died from the disease, said: "Cycling 297 miles is no mean feat and we wish Amy the best of luck. The aches and pains will definitely be worthwhile if she can hit her target of raising £2,000.

"We were pleased to hear that she made such a good recovery thanks to prompt treatment at hospital. Because meningitis can kill in less than four hours, early recognition, diagnosis and prompt treatment can mean the difference between life and death.

"Unfortunately not everyone makes a full recovery and the disease kills hundreds of people each year. Every penny Amy raises will go towards our single focus - to find a vaccine to eradicate meningitis and save thousands of lives in the future."

There's still time to sponsor Amy by visiting her Just Giving page - http://www.justgiving.com/AmyKilpatrick.

Or, for more information about meningitis or to support the Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign, please call 0117 373 73 73 or visit www.meningitisuk.org.