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In January 2021 our son, Finn became seriously ill with Encephalitis.  In simple terms Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain that can lead to an acquired brain injury and various neurological issues.  It is a complex condition that can cause death or leave the patient with long term or permanent problems such as epilepsy.  The key to a positive outcome with Encephalitis is early diagnosis and treatment however, this can be difficult as initial symptoms can be relatively mild such as head-aches, tiredness or a temperature which can be mistaken for a common cold or flu.  By the time more worrying symptoms are presented such as confusion, loss of consciousness or seizures, the patient is already in a very serious condition.  To compound this 78% of people have little or no understanding of what Encephalitis is despite it affecting around 500,000 people globally each year.

Finn had additional complications including a bleed on the brain and an acute kidney injury. There were days when we didn’t know if he would make it at all, but somehow he did.  Finn has shown exceptional strength and determination and has made a remarkable recovery, but the experience will live with him and the family for the rest of our lives.  All of this happened in the midst of Covid which meant for most of the 23 days Finn was in hospital we were unable to see him, and he had to get through much of the ordeal on his own.

On the 9^th April I will be starting a challenge to raise money and awareness for the Encephalitis Society.  I plan to cycle 875miles around the roads of Essex and Cambridgeshire which is the equivalent of Land’s End to John O’Groats.  If all goes well I hope to cycle 125miles per day and complete the challenge in 7days.  I haven’t made it easy for myself but it is nothing compared to what Finn went through.  The Encephalitis Society were a great source of information and support to us both during and since Finn’s illness, so we hope we can now help them with some fundraising.  The other important objective is to raise people’s awareness and understanding of Encephalitis and potentially help somebody to receive an early diagnosis and treatment.  Please give what you can, every little bit will help the Encephalitis Society to continue with their incredible work.  Thank you.

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