Maria’s Story

I am running the 2025 Great North Run because I want to defeat meningitis and septicaemia wherever they exist.

My family and I have been impacted by Meningitis, with the loss of my sister, Maria, to the disease. Unfortunately, I never got to meet Maria, although she left a significant space behind when she passed and I thought I would include her story written by our mum below. This is the first time I’ve heard the full story myself, as my mum and dad have tried to shelter me from the horrific events that they had to suffer. On reading this for the first time as I have copied and pasted it from WhatsApp messages sent by my mum, it has brought me to tears. It has also given me a massive realisation to how strong my parents are and especially my mum who has held herself together ever since that terrible day, giving me the best upbringing a son could ever wish for. Please read my mum’s story about Maria and the impact that this disease has had.

From A Loving Mum

Maria was born on July 11th 1981 and it was a red hot summers day. She weighed 5lbs 6oz and was just like a skinned rabbit. She soon began to grow tall and thin, and her hair was white and very curly. She looked just like an angel. Maria loved her pet cats and rabbits, and especially the local farm dog (Jake) who followed her all over. Jake would escape from the farm and be found outside our home barking at all times. Sometimes, this would be late at night for her to come out and play then the farmer would come and just laugh and take the Jake back to the farm. She was a sensitive young child who had lots of empathy for other children and she loved to sing and dance and perform in plays. Maria attended the local gymnastics club, and on a Saturday evening, while watching her programmes, she would show us all her new moves that she had learned at the club, bending her body into different positions that made me cringe . She loved her grandmother and auntie and cousin Kelly. Kelly and Maria had been born two weeks apart so they were very close to one another.

Maria was so kind caring to animals and other people.

When December 1991 arrived, Maria was excited for the Christmas school play. She was just full of it, watching Christmas movies and she loved the snowman! When I hear that song, I always think of her. All the house was ready for Christmas with all her presents under the tree and we were all happy. On December 23rd 1991, Maria said she felt Ill, so i got her laid down on the sofa and gave her some Calpol, but she didn’t seem to pick up. Two hours later, she began to get worse and so I called a doctor. The doctor came out to our home and said it was gastroenteritis and to keep her temperature down but if she didn’t get any better, then I would need to call her out again. Maria continued to get worse and a bit delirious. As I pulled the sheet back off of her legs, she had purple blotches on one side and I immediately panicked and remembered hearing about a meningitis out break earlier in the year in Gloucester.

There was not much information like today about the disease or about rolling a glass on the blotches to see if they disappeared. The doctor had been called, but we decided to get Maria to the hospital in our car. On lifting her off of the Sofa and getting her in the car, the doctor arrived and saw her legs and said it was meningitis. We got Maria to the hospital where they did a lumber puncture and when they put her on a drip, she started to come around. She just kept saying over and over again, “it hurts mum, it hurts”. She was in so much pain and the blotches were now on her face, chest, toes, and hands. The doctor told me she may loose her toes, fingers, and her nose. The blotches were now all over her face. I tried desperately to keep her feet warm as they were so cold!! She was crying help mum am I going to die. I then started to go cold and shiver. I could hear the machine bleeping. It was terrible to hear your beautiful little girl crying, “help mum, help mum. Then they came and told me she had meningitis B strain and septicaemia. The pain went on all night and the septicaemia was shutting down her organs.

At around 03:00am on December 24th, she had a massive fit. This was shocking to see. Later, they took her down to intensive care where they gave her a 50% chance of survival but she continued to deteriorate. At around 15:15pm, I was sat with her in intensive care and I leaned over to kiss her. I honestly felt a tug on my chest and I looked up at the ceiling and I said she’s gone. The monitor was still showing signs of her vitals but at 15:20pm on Christmas Eve, they pronounced her dead . I told them no and asked the doctor to do CPR and out of the kindness he did, bless him.

We all love you Maria and we will never forget you. Hopefully by raising some awareness of this terrible disease, families may not have to suffer the same story in the future.