Hello and thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

On the 28th April 2019 I shall be undertaking one of the most physically demanding challenges I have or will ever do in my life when I take part in the London Marathon 2019. 

What is my motivation I hear you ask? Why am I doing this?  

I am doing this for the Meningitis Research Foundation. My family has been affected by this as we suffered the loss of a young child, my brother. Below is the story: 

Alex was born in March 1996. He was a healthy little boy who enjoyed football and any sports. One October morning in 1998 he and his parents went shopping in
Wolverhampton for a birthday present for his grandmother and returned home at tea time. Alex was put to bed at 7pm and at 9pm had woken up having been sick.

His parents cleaned him up. He had a bit of a temperature but nothing to worry about. At 2am again Alex was crying. His temperature was high, so he was given Calpol. There was nothing to suggest there was anything major wrong. It was decided to let him sleep with his father so he could keep an eye on him.

When his mother went to wake them at 8am, Alex could not be woken. Alex died the following day of HIBS Meningitis (despite having had the vaccination as a baby). It was his Grandmother's birthday. There was no sign of the rash that is often discussed
and following Alex's death his parents worked with MRF (as part of a newspaper
article and a radio broadcast) to make people aware of not only the speed of the disease but also how important it is not to just look for the rash. Since  Alex's death a booster for HIBS has been developed as well as vaccines for other types of
meningitis.

Please give what you can to stop this dreadful disease affecting more families.

That's my motivation. That's what's going to drive me on.

This is what is going to inspire me and push me during the long winter months of training. While I am spending hours on my own in all weather I will be thinking of Alex and know I must keep going as he sadly never had the opportunity to run and take part in events like this. 

Please give generously and what you can in order to raise money to research and help eradicate this horrible disease and stop families being affected by this. 

Hopefully I can raise awareness by taking part in this event and helping others recognise the signs to aid early diagnosis. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

Owen 

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