Loving woman fronts Meningitis UK's awareness trailer in Plymouth

A LOVING woman from Saltash, who lost her step-granddaughter to meningitis, is spreading awareness of the deadly disease at two Plymouth-area supermarkets.

Meningitis UK Community Ambassador, Becky McLaren, of St Stephens, Saltash, will join the charity’s founder Steve Dayman to spread awareness of meningitis through an awareness drive in July.

Becky took on her new role after partner Stefan Keown lost his seven-month-old granddaughter Gracie Violet Keown to the notoriously difficult to diagnose disease on February 17, 2011.

It would have been Gracie’s second birthday on June 28.

Becky, 40, said: “Since Gracie passed away the family has been dedicated to spreading the message about meningitis and raising money in memory of Gracie.

“I have recently become a Meningitis UK Community Ambassador and am determined to spread the word about this deadly disease.

“People need to know the symptoms and how quickly meningitis can take hold and kill.

“The awareness trailer is a brilliant way to do this and I hope many people come to the supermarkets to learn more.”

Since losing Gracie, the family has raised around £20,000 in her memory.

Now the family hopes no other parents and families suffer the same pain and are spreading awareness of the devastating disease.

Becky will first join Mr Dayman to launch the charity’s awareness trailer and give advice at Morrison’s on Billacombe Road in Plymstock on July 4, at 9.30am.

They will then reunite at Sainsbury’s on Plymouth Road, Crabtree, Plymouth, on July 23, to continue the campaign.

Meningitis UK’s giant trailer will be parked outside the stores to highlight the disease’s symptoms and the need to act quickly, carrying the hard-hitting warning that meningitis can kill in under four hours.

Free wallet-sized symptoms cards will also be available to shoppers from the customer service desk.

Although successful vaccines exist to protect against some forms of meningitis, there is still no vaccine to protect against all strains.

Mr Dayman, who launched the charity after losing his 14-month-old son Spencer to meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia in 1982, said: “What happened to baby Gracie sadly illustrates the speed at which meningitis can strike, with very few symptoms to distinguish the disease from a cold or flu.

“There are also occasions when people show no or very few symptoms.

“For these reasons we believe that the only way to wipe out the disease is through the development of a preventative vaccine and the awareness trailer is a big part of our public education programme.”

To order your free symptoms information pack, or to support Meningitis UK’s Search 4 A Vaccine Campaign, call 0117 947 6320 or visit: www.meningitisuk.org.