Paul Challis, father of gold medal-winning Paralympian Ellie Challis, is sharing his story to mark World Meningitis Day (5th October 2024) - the world’s largest day of collection action on meningitis, co-ordinated by Meningitis Research Foundation.
Paul says his daughter’s life changed forever when she contracted bacterial meningitis at just 16 months old. Ellie is a quadruple amputee who has built a career as an award-winning athlete. She is a World Champion Paralympic swimmer, who won a silver medal in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and a gold medal in the 50m backstroke event at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. Ellie is supported in all her endeavours by Paul, who accompanies her around the world, so she knows he is ‘always there’ if and when she needs him.
Reflecting on their family's experience
Reflecting on their family’s meningitis experience, Paul said: “What meningitis took away, has also presented some amazing experiences that she wouldn’t have had. To go from being so close to dying, to the life she has lived, is an incredibly positive story, and it’s important to tell it – when things have gone from being so bleak, to see such a positive life can come from it. From the day it happened, one life stopped, and another one started.”
Both Paul and Ellie’s first-hand accounts are part of Meningitis Research Foundation’s Meningitis in your words collection – which is set to become the world’s largest source of personal meningitis experiences. This collection serves as a crucial resource, sharing stories from individuals impacted by meningitis to raise awareness and provide support to others facing similar challenges. By bringing together first-hand experiences in one place, the charity is aiming to ensure people facing a meningitis diagnosis feel less alone, no matter where they are in the world.
Paul said: “Even with all the positives we have had, no one ever wants to go through meningitis. What we went through – the amputation day, that first night was by far the worst 24 hours I could have ever lived. We were within seconds of a horrendous ending, and you just don’t want anybody to have to suffer that. That’s why we must defeat meningitis.”
Meningitis affects 2.5 million people every year. It can affect anyone, anywhere at any time. Tragically, children under five account for half of all meningitis deaths.
Raising life-saving awareness
Raising life-saving awareness of this complex disease is one of the key aspects of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Road Map to Defeat Meningitis by 2030, which could save more than 200,000 lives every year and significantly reduce the disabilities caused by meningitis.
Sharing personal experiences of meningitis to raise life-saving awareness is central to the global action planned on World Meningitis Day. Meningitis Research Foundation is calling for 2,030 people to share their story for 2030 - a figure which reflects the Road Map’s goal of defeating meningitis by 2030. If successful, it would become the largest collection of meningitis experiences in the world.
Answering the call
International athletes, explorers and stars of the stage, screen and social media, have answered this call. Actor Jimmy Yuill, best known for his role as Detective Inspector Doug Kersey in the popular British television series Wycliffe, and children’s author, Michael Rosen are among those sharing their stories.
Existing contributors include Emmerdale and Eastenders actress, Hayley Tamaddon, Bucks Fizz singer, Jay Aston, TV presenter Seema Jaswal, Italian athlete, rock climber and adventurer, Andrea Lanfri, Gold medal winning Paralympian, Aaron Phipps MBE, Irish TV presenter and social media creator, James Patrice, Neighbours actor, Nathan Borg, and social media influencers Leanne Smith (also known as BusyLittleLea), Juttima Chinnasri and Simone Shoffman.
Vinny Smith, Chief Executive of Meningitis Research Foundation, said: "World Meningitis Day is now the largest global movement for collective action on meningitis. Understanding this disease begins with listening to the voices of those who have experienced it firsthand. Their stories are key to turning the World Health Organization Road Map into reality, shaping a more informed, empathetic, and effective global approach to defeating meningitis.
The breadth of experiences shared in 'Meningitis in your words' - from people across the world, including many high-profile individuals - demonstrates that meningitis can affect us all, regardless of where we live or our background. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has shared their story to raise awareness, and we hope this inspires others to explore the collection, helping to unite us all in the fight against meningitis."
To find out more about World Meningitis Day, visit worldmeningitisday.org.