Four generations of a Wigan family have turned their personal sadness into a positive by helping to fight back against this devastating disease
After Derek Eastham died earlier this year his family requested donations for us at his funeral.
Derek’s granddaughter Karen Rutter, seen wearing the sash in our photo, contracted meningitis four times as a young child, leaving her profoundly deaf, and her mother Carol Brandreth, left, Derek’s daughter, has been a supporter of the charity ever since. Last week Roya Armstrong, our Regional Fundraiser in Lancashire, visited the family to collect cheques for £310 towards our ongoing work.
Seen here, from left to right, are: Carol Brandreth (Derek’s daughter), Karen Rutter (Derek’s granddaughter), Catherine Eastham (Derek’s wife) and Roya Armstrong, Meningitis Now, with Niamh and Freya Williams (Derek’s great granddaughters).
Roya said: “We’re so grateful to Carol, Karen and Catherine for their support. As a charity that receives no Government funding we rely entirely on the generosity of our supporters to raise the vital funds we need to carry out our lifesaving and life-changing work. Their contributions will make a real difference to those who are at risk from meningitis and those whose lives have already been changed forever because of it.”
