I've been a very active person all my life, competing in all types of sports  - Judo Wrestling Karate and Squash ,to name just a few. I have always kept myself fit, sometimes doing three different activities  in one day. For me, it really is all about taking part.

Then one day back in October 2017 the way I had lived my life up until then, came to a very abrupt stop .A few days prior I had not been to well and went to see my Doctor , He sent me away after a few checks , saying 'you'll be fine  Ian' 

. Two days later I was taken  unconscious into Salford Royal Hospital,  After various tests by an amazing HNS team, the outcome was that I had contracted Encephalitis. an extremely depilating and dangerous , illness. which had caused a brain seizure.  

I was hospitalise for weeks , completely out of it mentally, not understanding what was going on. I didn't even know who the young lady was by my bed , It was my daughter.

Finally, I was told I could go home , and that's when the real impact of Encephalitis hit me.,  It changed  me as a person , who I was and how I was with the people around me.  I'm coming to terms with it , gradually, but it's time to look to the future.

I count myself very lucky, the condition was identified very quickly , and I got the very best medical treatment from the NHS .Others , though, are not so fortunate as it can damage the brain in any number of ways , sadly some  people die from it.

I've been a volunteer for the Encephalitis Society for several years now and have had the amazing and humbling experience of helping others and, In particular the young persons weekend , which is a life reaffirming experience for everyone involved.

It's for that reason, I'm doing this charity event , where I aim to play as many people as possible at a racket sport .in February 2023, with a minimum target of 100! And yes , you're right , I've still not learnt not to over do it.

Please, if you can, get involved and donate your contribution will make a massive difference to many people who are living with the legacy of Encephalitis.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.