25 th April 2027- I will be taking on the iconic London Marathon in aid of Meningitis Now!

Please support me with whatever you can, every penny counts.

Let me share a little about my story and why this race is so much more than a marathon to me, it’s part of healing my trauma.

In 2016, my life changed forever.

My son Bobby was just 16 months old when he contracted meningitis B. What started as a high temperature quickly became a fight for his life.

I will never forget being told it was “just a virus”… then “tonsillitis”… and then being told they were sending us home with antibiotics. Which I refused and told them I wasn’t leaving this hospital.

I was informed later by the nurse who cared for him in intensive care, that I had saved his life. She said if I had left the hospital he would have died, the septicaemia had started to show on his ankle.

When they finally moved us to the children’s ward to monitor Bobby, we was only there 2 hrs when the doctors said to me the infection had reached his brain.

Holding Bobby in my arms, I dropped to my knees saying to the doctors “you said this was tonsillitis, you was going to send us home” …… then for over 48 hrs Bobby was fighting for his life in intensive care.

No parent should ever have to hear those words.No parent should have to watch their child fight for their life.

Bobby survived, but meningitis doesn’t leave without impact.

He is now profoundly deaf and hears the world through cochlear implants. He is also living with an acquired brain injury (ABI), something we continue to navigate every day as a family.

But Bobby is here.

He is strong.He is bright. He is thoughtful. He is curious.

And he is my constant reminder of what really matters.

What many people didn’t see is that during this time, I was also living in an emotionally abusive relationship with a partner battling drug addiction. As a mother, I was in survival mode. I didn’t have the space to process what was happening to my son, let alone what was happening to me.

The trauma of that day is something I am still working through today.

This year marks 10 years since Bobby contracted MenB.

10 years of resilience.

10 years of growth.

10 years of rebuilding.

So I’ve decided to do something that pushes me far beyond my comfort zone…

I’ve been given a place to run the London Marathon 2027 for Meningitis Now.

I am not a runner.

But I am a mother who has learned that strength isn’t about being fearless, it’s about showing up anyway.

This run is for my children, Maddison and Bobby

For everything we’ve been through, and everything we continue to grow through together.

But it’s also a message to them.

That no matter what life throws at you…

with the right mindset, courage, and heart…

you can achieve more than you ever thought possible.

I want them to see me show up.

To push through when it feels hard.

To keep going when it would be easier to stop.

And to know that anything is possible.

I’m also running in memory of those who didn’t get the chance to tell their story, and to raise awareness of this devastating disease.

I’m running for every family who has faced meningitis.

I’ve committed to raising £2750 but would love to raise £3,000 to support the life-saving work of Meningitis Now, a charity that supports families like mine when they need it most. They continue to support Bobby, and get him what he needs to make life a little less challenging for him 🧡

If my story has touched you in any way, I would be so grateful for your support.

Every donation, no matter how small, helps raise awareness, fund vital support, and bring hope to families facing the unimaginable.

Thank you for being part of this journey 🧡

With Thanks

Jane, Maddison & Bobby X