This coming Thursday is World Encephalitis Day where I, along with many others across the globe, will be wearing red to raise awareness of this devasting illness.

In November 2019 my eight year old son Henry died of encephalitis.

I'd heard of it at the time but had no idea about symptoms or how catastrophic it can be.

Unfortunately, this is also true of many medical professionals. With so much to cover in their training, encephalitis isn't part of their five year degree course in the UK and only picked up by the minority in optional post graduate study.

It doesn't help that it's also very challenging to diagnose. Henry deteriorated very rapidly with no obvious cause for his condition. We spoke to a number of different doctors and the rhetoric we heard repeatedly was 'it doesn't make medical sense'. Without appropriate treatment Encephalitis can have tragic consequences.

Early detection prevents irreversible brain damage and saves lives. Encephalitis International want to raise awareness with medical professionals so they can identify the symptoms and speed up diagnosis to get treatment started quickly.

The World Encephalitis Day fundraiser will help Encephalitis International's appeal which aims to raise £40,000 by the 22nd February to continue to provide training modules for medical professionals around the world about the diagnosis and treatment of encephalitis.

We know first-hand that early diagnosis and treatment can prevent death and disability from encephalitis, and utter devastation for families around the world. To achieve this, there is a need to develop better, accessible training opportunities on encephalitis for medical professionals to improve their knowledge and understanding of this complex condition.

Your support for this fundraiser will help us move a step closer to a world without death and disability from encephalitis.