Walk set to raise a fantastic £30,000 to beat meningitis
15.10.10
FAMILIES whose lives have been hit by meningitis will be walking the final leg of a marathon walk to help eradicate the deadly disease this weekend.
Meningitis UK's 16-day charity walk ends in Rottingdean on Sunday after a 334 mile trek from Yorkshire.
The walk is on course to raise over £30,000 towards vital vaccine research to eradicate the deadly brain bug.
Among the 20 walkers from Shoreham will be Worthing couple Helen and Carl Hancorn.
They are walking to raise money and awareness in memory of their granddaughter Mariah, who died in December last year when she was just 13-months-old.
The fact there was no warning and the speed at which she fell ill has promoted her family to raise money for Meningitis UK's Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign.
Helen, who lives on Upper Brighton Road, remembers how their daughter Jodie and her partner Simon Dunk were staying with them when Mariah died.
She said: "The night before she had a slight temperature and wasn't herself. We checked for a rash but there wasn't one so we presumed she was teething.
"She had her bottle and went to sleep as normal in her cot. Sadly, the next morning when Jodie went to check on her, she discovered she was not breathing.
"We called a paramedic and she was taken to hospital but it was too late unfortunately."
They learnt the following day that Mariah had died from meningitis, which can kill in under four hours and often has little more than flu-like symptoms initially.
Brighton's Sally Conniff will be walking in memory of her daughter Emma, who died aged four on Boxing Day in 1994.
She has been taking part in charity walks ever since and said: "It happened so quickly, which is why we're so keen to raise awareness of the disease.
"Hopefully people are more alert nowadays but it's still so important to educate parents.
"We've supported Meningitis UK for a long time now and really hope that a vaccine will be found in the near future to save people from going through the heartache we have suffered."
Emma died from meningococcal septicaemia - a dangerous consequence of meningitis B, which occurs when meningococcal bacteria enter the blood stream and multiply uncontrollably, poisoning the blood and completely overwhelming the immune system.
Super fundraiser Ray Finch, from Bognor Regis, will be doing a full two days worth of walking.
He will be clocking up 33 miles between Petworth and Rottingdean in memory of his son Martin who was 14 when he died from the Meningitis C strain, just two months before he was due to be given the vaccine in 1999.
Ray said: "We started fundraising to make sense of his death. We didn't want it to be worthless.
"A vaccine's the only solution in our opinion because whether it's diagnosed in time is down to chance and luck, such is the nature of meningitis."
Steve Dayman, the Chief Executive of Meningitis UK, has walked the entire 334 mile route and has been joined by over 100 supporters along the way.
The fundraiser is his 30th marathon walk in memory of his son Spencer, who died from the disease in 1982, aged 14-months.
Steve said: "I am very grateful to everyone for joining me on the walk, and sharing their experiences.
"Their personal experiences tragically illustrate just how quickly meningitis can strike, often with very little warning.
"Six families a week still face the heartbreak of losing a loved one to meningitis. It goes without saying that the more support we receive, the sooner a vaccine can be developed.
"Money raised through this walk, and with the continued support of the general public, will help us continue our vital work and achieve our goal of eradicating meningitis."
The Bridlington to Brighton route has passed through Beverly, Goole, Thorne, Bawtry, Retford, Southwell, Nottingham, Loughborough, Hinkley, Southam, Banbury, Woodstock, Wantage, Newbury, Basingstoke, Alton, Petworth and Shoreham.
To make a donation, please call 0117 373 73 73 or visit www.meningitisuk.org
MeningitisUK · Registered Charity No.1076774
Comments
Comments are temporarily closed for this article