“I was just 8 months old and my mum had left me with my great-grandparents for the day. They noticed I was unusually tired and wasn’t waking up. My nana passed me to my papa, and they immediately saw I was floppy, with mottling on my skin. They called my mum, who was at work, and she urged them to rush me to The Portland Hospital.
“When we arrived, the doctors took one look at me and wrote “Meningitis?” on a piece of paper. My parents had never heard of it before and were filled with fear and uncertainty, as meningitis wasn’t something widely known about back then.
“Dr. Edward Douek quickly diagnosed me with bacterial meningitis. He told my parents that I was about an hour away from losing my life and needed antibiotics immediately. Thankfully, his swift action saved my life. I spent two weeks in the ICU at The Portland Hospital before going home.
“My parents first heard about Meningitis Now around the time I was sick. There weren’t many meningitis-focused charities 25 years ago, but this one stood out to them. As I grew up, I became more aware of the charity through them. It has always been close to my heart, and I’ve wanted to give back to support their incredible work.”
Walking to The Portland Hospital
To mark the 25th anniversary of the Portland Hospital saving Olivia’s life, Olivia took on a very special fundraising challenge to raise money for Meningitis Now. She walked several miles from her home to The Portland Hospital surrounded by family and friends to honour the journey she made 25 years ago.
“Taking on the walk from my home to The Portland Hospital was such a proud moment for me. I’d barely done any training—I don’t exercise or go to the gym—but I was determined to push myself for this cause.
“I knew it wasn’t supposed to be easy; it was meant to be a challenge to honour those who lost their lives to meningitis, the families who have suffered and people who have lost limbs. I am still here with all functioning limbs and extremely grateful I can walk, unlike some.
Really proud
“Surprisingly, the walk turned out to be much easier than I had imagined. I thought it would be impossible, and I’d end up in pain and not make it to the end, but that thankfully wasn’t the case.
“I had nine amazing walkers by my side, each of whom holds a special place in my heart. Talking to each other made the journey much easier, and I couldn’t have done it without them all.
“The only real challenge came at mile 9 for me, when we stopped for coffee, and I knew if I sat too long, I wouldn’t be able to get back up, so I decided to keep moving. In the end, we completed the walk in just four and a half hours! For someone like me, who is unfit and has asthma, that’s something I’m really proud of.
An emotional moment
“Finishing the walk was an amazing and overwhelming feeling- I was beyond proud of myself. I knew I’d never give up, even if it took me days to complete, but to do it in the time we did was incredible.
“When we were about five minutes away, my dad spotted the hospital and shouted out. Seeing the finish line so close gave me a huge burst of energy, so my dad and I decided to run the last bit, and as we approached the hospital, I saw everyone waiting for me with their cameras cheering me on.
“It was such an emotional moment. My parents hugged me tightly and cried, saying that seeing the hospital again brought back so many memories of 25 years ago. Damian, the COO of The Portland Hospital, was there to greet me, which felt so special.
Raised over £4,000
“My mum even arranged a little celebration in the hospital’s Wellbeing Lounge, where my family and friends could relax, eat, and celebrate together. It was an amazing way to finish such a meaningful journey.
“In total, I raised over £4,000 for Meningitis Now, which is absolutely astonishing. I’m so proud of what I achieved and would love to take on more challenges like this in the future to continue supporting the charity. The experience was amazing, and I hope I have made a difference to the charity.”
If you'd like to donate to Olivia's fundraiser you can do so via her GoFundMe page here.
And if you'd like to learn more about how you can fundraise for us you can visit our website.
