A 25-year-old man from Wrexham is taking on the London Marathon to raise funds for Meningitis Research Foundation after he and his brother both survived meningitis as teenagers.
Drew Darlington was just fifteen when he was suddenly struck by meningococcal meningitis. A year earlier, his brother Saul had also been seriously unwell with the same disease - a double blow the family later discovered was caused by a rare genetic condition called properdin deficiency, which increases susceptibility to severe bacterial infections.
“I remember the day I first got ill quite well,” Drew said. “I was in an English lesson when I first started to feel unwell. I had a restless sensation in my legs, but I also felt incredibly cold and had a headache. When I got home, my temperature was really high, but I couldn’t stop shivering. I got in a hot bath to try and warm up, but I started vomiting. That’s when my mum rushed me to the GP. She had recognised the symptoms because my brother had been diagnosed with meningitis a year prior.”
Drew’s GP recognised the warning signs of meningitis and called an ambulance. He was admitted to the children’s ward and spent two weeks in hospital recovering. “My whole body was stiff, I couldn’t even touch my chin to my chest,” he said. “It took months before I felt normal again, but luckily I had no long-term after-effects.”
The family saw a specialist who diagnosed both brothers with a properdin deficiency. Today, they both take daily antibiotics and remain vigilant about symptoms. “Having had meningitis twice in my family has made me extra cautious,” Drew said. “If I get a rash, I always do the glass test. If I feel unwell, I mentally run through the symptoms.”
Drew, now a Police Community Support Officer, is preparing to run the London Marathon on 27th April. “I’ve run a few marathons before, but London was always on my list,” he said. “This time, I’m not putting too much pressure on myself. I want to raise awareness and funds for Meningitis Research Foundation more than anything.”
“Meningitis Research Foundation is a charity close to my heart,” said Drew. “Both my brother and I have had meningitis and the work they do is incredible. Their website and resources have helped me learn more about the disease and educate others. Fundraising for them is the least I can do to give back.”
Drew is also sharing his experience in Meningitis in your words, to help build the world’s largest digital collection of meningitis experiences. Told in people’s own words, each story is shared to foster understanding, offer comfort and above all, save lives. The goal is to collect 2,030 stories – a figure to reflect the WHO’s Global Road Map to Defeat Meningitis by 2030 and to help illustrate to international leaders its true impact on communities worldwide.
“No two people experience meningitis in the same way,” Drew added. “Someone might hear my experience and recognise symptoms they hadn’t been aware of before, which could save a life.”
This year, Meningitis Research Foundation have over 240 people racing to defeat meningitis in the London Marathon to raise a combined total of £391,000.
Charlotte Ulett, Senior Events and Community Fundraising Manager at Meningitis Research Foundation, said: “Meningitis can happen to anyone. Our vision is a world free of meningitis and to get there, we need incredible supporters like Drew, who turn their personal experiences into powerful action. By joining hundreds of like-minded supporters in taking on the London Marathon and sharing his story, Drew is not only raising vital funds but helping to raise awareness of a global health issue that urgently needs to be defeated.”
To read Drew’s full story in ‘Meningitis in your words’, visit: www.meningitis.org/drew-darlington