We’d like to congratulate our wonderful charity ambassador Rosie Galligan on being part of the England Red Roses rugby squad that’s reached the world cup final.
We wish Rosie and the team good luck for this weekend’s clash with Canada. We’ll be cheering them on when the sides square up at Twickenham at 4pm on Saturday.
Rosie, a proud ambassador for Meningitis Now, played for England for the first time in February 2019.
Dream come true
She told us: “It was such a dream come true.” England beat Ireland that day and Rosie remembers walking off the pitch on a chilly evening in Dublin, surrounded by her teammates feeling on top of the world.
But less than six months later, she spent ten days in hospital after contracting meningitis. She was told that if she had been admitted a day later she could have lost both her legs to septicaemia.
Rosie added: “I feel so profoundly grateful that I have been able to make a full recovery from my meningitis experience. Over 1,000 days after I first played for England, I played a second time, against Scotland in the Six Nations.
Felt like a lifetime
“My road to recovery may have short in the grand scheme of things, but it felt like a lifetime! After a week of being out of hospital, I was allowed to do a six minute, extremely slow bike ride. I was shattered!
“Two months and a lot of tears, anxiety and training later, I was able to take to the rugby pitch again!"
“I am very lucky that I acted the way I did when I started feeling ill.
More motivated than ever
“I feel incredibly lucky to be able to say I came out of this experience feeling more motivated than ever. I work a lot harder and am more focussed on what is important in life.
“My whole meningitis experience was a massive eye-opener and I am so glad I am able to now share my story and help others.”
And now it’s time for the big one.
In a message ahead of the game our chief executive Tom Nutt said; “Good luck for the final on Saturday Rosie – we’re all rooting for you and the Red Roses.
“Your story is a powerful reminder that you don’t have to give up on your dreams following meningitis – with dedication, time and the right support it is possible to bounce back from this devastating disease.”
Read more about Rosie’s story.
