Thank you to all the kind and caring members of Bournemouth Fit Body Bootcamp who have decided to raise funds for The Encephalitis Society by taking part in the Great South Run. 

The reason we have chosen to fundraise for The Encephalitis Society is because a fellow bootcamp member (Kim McFarland and family) have built a close relationship with the charity following a personal story close to their heart involving their son James who sadly was struck down by this devastating condition. 

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain. The inflammation is caused either by an infection invading the brain (infectious); or through the immune system attacking the brain in error (post-infectious / autoimmune encephalitis). 

The types of symptoms seen in encephalitis reflect the specific areas of the brain affected by inflammation. The range of symptoms and their rate of development vary widely and can make the diagnosis of encephalitis difficult. 

Encephalitis frequently begins with a ‘flu-like illness or headache. Typically more serious symptoms follow hours to days later. The most serious finding is an alteration in level of consciousness. This can range from mild confusion or drowsiness, to loss of consciousness and coma. 

Other symptoms include a high temperature, seizures (fits), aversion to bright lights, inability to speak or control movement, sensory changes, neck stiffness, or uncharacteristic behaviour. 

James was diagnosed with encephalitis in June 2010 following a healthy development up until that point. Within a matter of hours, the James they once knew was slowly becoming absorbed by the acute phase of the illness. After spending several weeks on life support James woke and it was evident that the illness had left its mark. James suffered complete memory loss and could not understand what or how to do anything as well as not being able to recognise his own family. James has not spoken a word since; he suffers from epilepsy, cognitive decline as well as behavioural and sleep disorders. Two years have now passed and after spending every month in hospital, they are still unsure as to how much progress James will make moving forward. 

Each case of Encephalitis is very different and this makes it all the more difficult to treat. There are numerous types of Encephalitis and new types are discovered every day! In James's case it is so rare that only a handful of people around the world have been diagnosed with the form that he has. They are praying that the medical profession will one day have an answer and hopefully get James back on the road to recovery.  

This is why we would like to join together and aim to smash the target we have set for the The Encephalitis Society and in doing so raise awareness of this little known condition. They need all the help and support they can get as they are the only registered charity for Encephalitis globally and receive no public funding to continue the great work they complete. They contribute to on-going research in the field either by the funding of, the support of, or conducting research to further understand the causes and consequences of encephalitis. 

Thank you for reading Kim's story and I hope it touches on the struggles the past two years have had on their family unit. So please dig deep and support Bournemouth Fit Body bootcamp as they take on this challenge for a truly worthy cause.

For further details about Encephalitis and the charity itself please visit www.encephalitis.info

 

Thank you once again 

 

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