Wedding ball tribute to meningitis victim raises £5,000
14.10.10
Married couples dusted down their wedding day suits and dresses last Saturday to raise money in memory of a pregnant woman who died from meningitis.
Surrey resident Alice Austin organised the charity ball to raise funds for research into the disease, which killed her daughter Gillian Redman in 2004, when she was 28 weeks pregnant.
Mrs Austin said the event at the Hilton Cobham, in Seven Hill Road, raised about £5,000, which will go to Meningitis UK's search for a vaccine.
It will also go to Born Too Soon, a charity that raises money to help premature and sick newborn babies.
She said: "Gillian had always wanted to do a wedding ball for charity and when my daughter-in-law was getting married she mentioned it was a shame we can't wear the dresses more than once.
"I think Gillian would have wanted to be part of an event like this. She always said her wedding day was the best day of her life, so this is a tribute to her in that way."
Mrs Redman, who lived in Hersham, was 31 when she died.
She had been complaining of flu-like symptoms and sinusitis, but GPs were wary of prescribing antibiotics in case they harmed her unborn baby.
She was eventually given antibiotics, but fell unconscious on March 15 and died 15 days later.
While in an induced coma, she gave birth to her baby daughter Grace, who survived for just 20 minutes.
Mrs Austin said: "You never get over these things, but you learn to live with it and channel your energy into preventing other people from suffering the same ordeal."
MeningitisUK · Registered Charity No.1076774
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