In 2008, we lost  Maisie, to meningitis. She was just eight months old.

In the early hours of 15 October, she was taken to hospital but was sent home with the reassurance that it was only a virus. Later that afternoon, as her condition worsened, she was admitted to another hospital where she was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. That night she was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital. By the morning of 16 October, her little body had endured all it could. In just 24 hours, she was gone.

During the darkest time of our lives, Meningitis Now was there for our family, only a phone call away. Their support meant everything to us.

Wanting to give something back, I began volunteering with the charity and have continued to do so for many years. It has become my way of coping and honouring Maisie’s memory. I distribute symptom cards and vital information to universities, nurseries and GP surgeries. I support fundraising events, cheer on runners and cyclists, and organise community Toddle Waddles.