Updated on Nov 1st 2012 at 11:55 AM from the JustGiving API

Into week 3 of training now and going well... Embracing the cold!

Updated on Nov 1st 2012 at 11:48 AM from the JustGiving API

Into week 3 of training now and going well... Embracing the cold!

In July 2012 I developed Viral Meningitis. This is a potentially fatal virus and some studies say that it claims the life of 100% of sufferers with the type I had if left untreated.

A scary thought I am sure you agree - Meningitis UK are working hard toward trying to find a vaccine for all types of the virus so no one suffers with it in the future.

Anyone can develop Meningitis, and the MRF say the diseases affect approx 3,600 people in the UK annually, killing one in ten and leaving a quarter of survivors with life altering damage such as deafness, brain damage or loss of limbs.

For the last few years I have been a pretty active and healthy person but began to feel unwell toward the end of July out of the blue. After several days of severe headaches and a mis-diagnosis from my GP I suffered a seizure at home brought on by encephalitis (swelling of the brain) where the virus had unknowingly spread to. To say this was concerning is probably an understatement (ask Mel!), these episodes presented themselves in the same fashion as a stroke (right side weakness, face dropped, aphasia), I was confused and unable to communicate.

Fortunately Mel acted FAST and called for an ambulance. I did deteriorate during the transit to hospital but was treated using Acyclovir (an IV Anti-Viral drug) upon arrival to A&E and over the following 10 days which more than likely saved my life. Had I have been alone that morning with no way of raising the alarm there is a real chance the outcome would have been very different.

A further 2 weeks out of action after being discharged and I have now made a (pretty much) full recovery. One which even the hospital staff were impressed with! This being all thanks to the fast actions of medical teams and having the right medicine available. I feel incredibly fortunate to have recovered from this terrible illness so quickly and now want to make whatever difference I can so that less people in the future suffer with this.

Please be generous! This really is the toughest challenge I have ever done - the more of you who support the greater the difference will be.

Any amount is better than no amount! Even £1!

A

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