Hi Everyone! I am Ato’s sister Johari and, along with my youngest brother Zuben and my sister Safia, I have joined my mum's fundraising team to mark the 25-year anniversary of my brother Ato’s meningitis diagnosis.

On 16th and 17th November, I will be walking the 65km from Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (where Ato was diagnosed) to Staffordshire Children’s Hospital Intensive Care Unit in Stoke (where Ato was treated).

There is a message from my siblings and me below.

Meningitis has had a profound impact on the way we have lived our lives since Ato's diagnosis, and how we ultimately view the world. Meningitis Now has supported Ato and our family for 25 years.

Meningitis Now's awareness raising campaigns have helped to introduce preventative vaccines to the NHS immunisation programme. Every day the team teaches people across the UK to recognise the signs and symptoms of meningitis and connects families and individuals affected by the disease with longer-term support services.

Each of us has a special connection with Ato that we're so thankful for. If you have siblings, you'll know that each of us has been blessed with three best friends for life, but something about Ato (he's really quite charismatic) kind of makes him the centre of all of our worlds. We'll always be committed to making sure Ato is happy, healthy and safe, but our parents' experience has taught us that that won't always be easy. We have a real support system in Meningitis Now and the community that surrounds it. We hope that the charity, its friends and supporters will be around for us and for families like ours for years to come.

We'll be taking on challenges for the rest of the year to help our mum to reach her goal. Please give generously, we'd really appreciate it.

Find out more about the work of Meningitis Now and the signs and symptoms of meningitis here:

https://www.meningitisnow.org/meningitis-explained/signs-and-symptoms/