Swadlincote Ladies Circle was re-affiliated on 20th March 2012 and as Chairman I am responsible for chosing the charity we will be supporting this year.

We plan to start the slim with a weigh in on Tuesday 1st May, weighing in at a weight watchers meeting, so no cheating! The slim will last 6 weeks, ending on Tuesday 12th June. We aim to lose 1 stone, or 5% of body weight. The charity I have chosen is close to my heart, as a work colleague lost her 3 year old daughter Katie last year after fighting against menigococcal septicaemia . Katies story is below:

Up until the 7th of December 2011 Katie was a normal happy 3 year old with her whole life in front of her, then after being a little tired and having a slightly raised temperature she went to bed. The following morning our lives would be changed forever, from having what looked like a bruise on her eyebrow to being in A & E and being told she had a meningococcal infection took only an hour and at approximately 8:45am on the 8th of December would be the last time we saw Katie conscious. Despite the magnificent efforts of the staff at the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham on December 20th 2011 Katie lost her fight for life.

It is the efforts of the amazing staff at the PICU at Queens Medical Centre we want to help so that in Katie's memory some other family may not have to go through what we have whether it be through menigococcal septicaemia or any other serious illness. We want to raise a lot of money so much needed extra equipment can be provided to a ward that treats so many very critically ill children.

Myself and fellow Circler Alicia Sharman will be doing this sponsored slim as one of hopefully many fundraising events throughout the year.

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