Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. I am going to run 10 miles in October, in the Great South Run in Portsmouth, in aid of the Encephalitis Society.

At the age of 16, my brother, Nicholas, was cruelly struck down by a completely random virus, which caused encephalitis (inflammation of part of the brain) and brain damage. We have no idea how he caught it, but he was in intensive care for a long while and had to learn to walk and talk and eat and read, and basically Live, all over again.

Unfortunately, the damage was really quite severe and Nick’s whole endocrine system was involved. It lead to epilepsy, bad psychoses in the early days, severe migraines, high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, stomach ulcers, learning difficulties including poor memory, word finding difficulties, poor concentration, poor comprehension, and in more recent years to diabetes, cataracts, tinnitus, partial deafness, and most recently problems with his Pancreas.

It is no wonder that Nick also suffered with serious mental health issues as a result of all that he had to cope with.

Despite these ailments, Nick was resilient, had a great sense of humour, and, against all of the odds, did his best to make the most of his Life. He rode motorbikes, drove cars, loved animals, at one stage was engaged to be married, and lived semi-independently for a long time.

However, unfortunately, Nick’s physical health had continued to decline, especially over the last couple of years, and this really took its toll on him. 

On Friday 13th July 2018 his body finally said enough was enough, and we take comfort from the fact that he is no longer in physical or emotional pain any more, and is now finally at peace.

Encephalitis is a relatively unknown disease, but can be so seriously debilitating and cruel, as Nicholas found out. Research into the causes and/or treatment has the potential to be massively life-changing for both the patient and their entire family. 

I am not a natural born runner and can often be seen treading the roads of Yateley doing my best Phoebe from Friends impression. However, if I can help just one more person, or help make things easier for just one more family, then it will amount to my time and your charitable donations very well spent.

Please give generously.