Johari A

My family has been involved with the charity since my brother survived pneumococcal meningitis as a baby in 2000. My Mum, Lynette Adjei, is also a Community Ambassador and you can read about Ato’s story in her bio.

For my family and for many others, volunteering has been an important way to give back to a charity that has done so much to support us. For me being a young carer shaped a lot of my experiences growing up. It was a real comfort meeting other young people at family days and events who could share in those experiences. 

The charity’s volunteering and staff teams are filled with amazing people participating in all kinds of work to prevent cases of the disease as well as to support those individuals and families who have been unfortunate enough to be affected by meningitis.

Every person that I have worked with whilst volunteering for Meningitis Now has had their own story that connects them to disease. I think the inspiration that each of us draw from those stories is a crucial part of what we do for Meningitis Now in every capacity. Campaigns to raise awareness and improve rates of vaccination are far more impactful with the force of real experiences behind them.