Hello,

Thank you for visiting my JustGiving page.

"The COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest global health challenge facing our societies and economies for more than 100 years. At this critical moment in our history, we must stick together. Solidarity is crucial to defeating this virus. This pandemic is not over anywhere until it is over everywhere" (Professor Baron Peter Piot, Director, LSHTM).

I am delighted to participate in the London Landmark Half Marathon, and support LSHTM’s efforts to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 through research and scholarship.

On 23rd March 2020, when most of us glued to watch our Prime Minister’s live address to the nation, I felt as if the World has come to a standstill. But the thing that caught everyone’s attention, at least mine, was the situation in Italy.

This is what I wrote to my family in India on 2nd April 2020:

“I have been thinking a lot about my personal experience with my mum 10 years ago. Although I was complaining, moaning, and still mourning, I now realise that I was very fortunate. It was a painful experience, nonetheless a memorable one. I never felt so closer to my mum, even in her final moments she recognised me and gave me a kiss! Moreover, she had her children, husband, brother, and sister by her side. None of us contracted the infection (so called H1N1). It was indeed a miracle!

It is sad to know that thousands of people are now being deprived of that special moment that I witnessed. I have received continuous support both from my immediate and extended family for which I'm very grateful. Please help me by praying for all those who have been affected by the current crisis.”

Is there anyone who has not experienced the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in their personal and/or professional lives? Well, COVID-19 affected both my personal and professional life adversely, essentially the 3rd fall in my adult life. However, I received some exceptional support from a few academic colleagues, my dad, and my family friend who is a God-sent motherly figure to me. Thank you Formby! My 1st fall was when my mum died at a relatively young age in October 2009. The following year,  my daughter, Petru, named after my mum, was born. However, the joy didn’t last long. When Petru was three weeks old, we found out that she has a progressive form of brittle bone disease/Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) - the 2nd fall. Thanks to our excellent NHS and the amazing multidisciplinary team (& of course the ‘you are mean,’ 24 x 7, cheap physio, that’s me!), Petru is doing well. I sometime wonder, and even once asked the consultant, Professor Bishop, whether Petru’s OI can be downgraded to a less severe type.

After nearly 10 years living in London, we decided to relocate to Formby in October 2016. It was a risky decision because we didn’t know anyone, let alone Formby, not even in Merseyside or any part of North West. That said, it didn’t take us long to establish connections, have close friends, and integrate with the community. I am a catholic and a regular at Our Lady of Compassion Catholic Church, Formby. My most favourite time of the year is the Easter period. Ten years ago, I discovered that my favorite hymn is “Now the green blade riseth.” The hymn has religious connotation, and is about the rising of Jesus. However, if we just focus on the 1st sentence “Now the green blade riseth, from the buried grain,” then we should be able to relate it to our current experience.

Corona virus is ruthless! It affects everyone irrespective of age, gender, religion, race, nationality, or wealth. It is very clear that the global pandemic did not receive the appropriate global action and response. This has only widened the already unfair health and social care system, both nationally and globally. Nonetheless, majority have worked very hard and played their role to curtail the spread and /or the adverse effect of COVID-19, in their own capacity within their limits. One such group include the academic researchers. LSHTM has been at the forefront in informing the COVID-19 national policy from the outset. We are very fortunate to have Professor Whitty as our chief medical officer who steered the country during this unprecedented crisis and earned the catchphrase “Next Slide Please.” Prior to this, he was the Professor of Public and International Health at LSHTM and Director of the school’s Malaria Centre.

We are now enjoying spring, and a successful vaccination programme has given us a ray of hope and light! But the global response to the global pandemic is still not fully addressed. We see a completely different story in India that is in the midst of a 2nd wave. This indicates that there is more work that needs doing. Above all, we need to do further research to ensure that this is the LAST pandemic not only in our grand children and great grandchildren’s time but NEVER EVER! I say this because my maternal grandmother was born in 1919 during the Spanish flu pandemic.

LSHTM is uniquely placed to research, inform and advocate on a global scale to mitigate the impact of future pandemics, and act to help ensure global health security. I am running the London Landmarks half marathon to support LSHTM’S COVID-19 Response Fund to combat COVID-19 and future pandemics.

Thank you for your support!

Best wishes,
Lambert Felix.