Don’t Wait For The Rash

April Prendergast - 12 Mar 18

There is still a huge misconception that those suffering from meningitis will develop the terrible rash but this isn’t true. Many, like our beautiful goddaughter Clara, will never develop a rash.

This fundraising and awareness campaign is in memory of Clara who lost her fight to meningitis at just 10 months old and who never developed a rash.

When Clara passed away in October 2010, it was the saddest moment of our lives. Knowing that we would never again be able to cuddle this incredible little girl, who had the most beautiful blue eyes and beaming smile, broke all of our hearts.

Her amazing mummy and daddy, her loving family and all of her friends miss her everyday – she will always have a very special place in our hearts.

Clara’s mummy, Claire, has incredible strength and truly is an inspirational person. Shortly after Clara died, Claire set up a Forever Fund so that money could be raised in Clara’s memory for Meningitis Now.

The fund homepage inlcudes a message from Claire which I wanted to share with you:

“Clara was a very longed and waited for baby, an image of perfection in our dreams, to a perfect reality in our arms overwhelming us with her beauty on December the 8th 2009. Then there was ‘her smile’, everyone talks about Clara’s smile, her kindness, sensitivity and the enthusiasm she had for everything, fun and loving she lit the lives of all who met her. Clara has left us, our family & our friends far too soon, we will never fill our hearts again, but with every beat that I have left I will raise awareness & try to support those who also feel the pain we have felt since the 6th of October when she was taken from us by pneumococcal meningitis and septicemia. I will hold you forever in my heart my darling until I see your smile again, I love you, mama xx”

Don’t Wait For The Rash Dash

On 24th March 2018 Big G’s Gym in Edgworth, Bolton will host the “Don’t Wait for the Rash – Dash” fundraiser for Meningitis Now.

Local residents will spend 15 minutes on the treadmill between 8am and 8pm, so that as a team they can keep going for 12 hours in total.

So the big question is:

“What total distance will the team cover in the 12 hours?”

Guess the Distance Competition

If you would like to enter this “Guess the distance competition” and be in with a chance of winning £100 of AO.com vouchers please visit the campaign page by clicking here.

We are asking for a £5 donation for each guess and all funds raised will be donated directly to Meningitis Now. The work they do is incredible and they rely on fundraising so that they can continue. Please see below for further details of the fantastic work they do with regards to life saving research and supporting families affected by meningitis.

What is Meningitis?

Meningitis can affect anyone, of any age, at any time. It is the inflammation of the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord and can be caused by different organisms, the most common being bacteria and viruses.

Meningitis can strike quickly, but its impact can last a lifetime.

10% of bacterial cases result in death.

1 in 3 of those who survive bacterial meningitis are left with after-effects, many of which are severe such as brain damage, hearing and sight loss, and where septicaemia (blood poisoning) has occurred, loss of limbs and scarring.

Bacterial meningitis kills more UK children under the age of five than any other infectious disease.
Viral meningitis is usually less serious than bacterial meningitis but can still leave people with long-lasting after-effects, such as headaches, fatigue and memory problems.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia, remaining vigilant and getting medical help quickly can save lives. The symtoms information provided by Meningitis Now can be found here and has already saved many lives – learn what to look out for today.

Meningitis Now

Meningitis Now is the UK’s largest Meningitis charity, offering support, funding research and raising awareness of this devasting illness.

In September 2016 all their hard work was rewarded when the Men B vaccine (Bexsero) was introduced on the National Childhood Immunistration Programme for all newborn babies. This made us the first country in the world to offer this revolutionary new vaccine via a national health service. Such a fantastic achievement after years of hard work, fundraising and research.

Their Vision 2020 has two main goals:

(1) Saving lives and preventing disability through improving prevention and rapid diagnosis, and

(2) rebuilding futures and improving quality of life through increased recognition of the impact of meningitis and provision of timely, effective support.

With no central Government funding, Meningitis Now are reliant on donations to help raise the £4 million they need to support people facing meningitis every year.

The money raised by Meningitis Now is used in the following ways:

Research. They support reseach that finds new, and enhances existing, vaccines to save lives and prevent disability.

Support. They provide specialist support to help rebuild lives and ensure no-one has to face meningitis alone. Our support is a lifeline to victims of meningitis and we will continue to reach out to everyone affected, with practical, financial and emotional support. Our lovely friend Claire and her family have benefitted immensely from the suppport offered by Meningitis Now and have also offered support to others.

Awareness. They save lives through awareness and education, giving people the knowledge and confidence to say “I suspect meningitis” – fast action saves lives.

Campaign. They campaign for the introduction of licensed vaccines as soon as they are available in the UK, because time lost is lives lost. They fight for the rights of those affected and use our voice to make sure they get the very best care.

Thank you for reading this, it really means a lot to us. Please share to help us raise awareness and hopefully save lives.

April Prendergast

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