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Hi. My name is Benji and in September 2014 I will be raising awareness of meningitis and hoping to raise money for the Meningitis Research Foundation. I am doing this because when I was four years old I contracted meningococcal septicaemia. I had been at a party at a soft play area and all that night I was very sick. The next morning I was drowsy and difficult to wake up and a rash had appeared on my back. My parents took me straight to A&E where I was transferred by ambulance to Birmingham Children’s hospital. I spent 24 hours in the high dependency unit. I was not awake at the time but my parents were told to prepare for the worst and if I did wake up I might need a blood transfusion, may need to have a limb amputated or may lose my sight or hearing. Thankfully as my symptoms were caught so early and the staff at the Children’s hospital were so fantastic I made a speedy recovery and after a few days in intensive care I was able to go home. I had to return to hospital as an outpatient for a week and it took many weeks for me to be able to return to school full time.  I was one of the lucky ones in making a full physical recovery but whilst I was in hospital we saw several young babies and children who had not been so lucky.

The w/c 8^th September is meningitis awareness week and I am distributing leaflets at my school and my younger brother’s nursery and local playgroups as knowledge and awareness of the symptoms are key in early treatment. 

I would also like to raise money for the Meningitis Research Fund who funds research into the prevention, detection and treatment of meningitis and septicaemia and also provides excellent support for those affected by the disease and their families.  

As well as the Birmingham 5k Big Fun Run, I am playing my trombone in a charity concert, myself and Eve are running in the Birmingham junior half marathon, and I am also involved in the Busy Parents Network Scarecrow trail in Bournville on September 13^th to raise funds and we will also have a stall there with information leaflets and selling second hand books and toys.  

Thank you so much for your time in reading this and your donation.

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