This is the much-loved Charlie.
Back in October, baby Charlie became ill. He showed the normal signs that a child would show while sick: sleepiness, fever, etc. The doctors thought, just like most would, that he just had a virus. No one knew that Charlie had meningitis because most of the well known warning signs just weren't there. The rest of this story, I will let you read for yourself. It isn't my story to tell.
Let me get to Charlie's mom. Katy is an inspiring soul, someone who has come out of this ordeal as strong as she possibly could have. Her baby boy was lost at only 3 months old, yet she has become an advocate, a woman on a mission to turn tragedy into triumph, a woman who is going to save lives. And she is going to save those lives in more ways than one. On top of becoming an advocate for meningitis awareness, she has also continued to pump breastmilk and donate to her local milk bank. This way, babies who wouldn't otherwise have the gift of mommy milk, may do so through her.
Katy and her family have already begun to raise money for The Meningitis Trust (The Charlie Mann Fund) by having friends donate online and by putting together a fundraiser.
I want you to read this article in the Huddersfield Daily Examiner: "Mum Katy Mann's Vow..."
I want you to go to her blog that she used as a starting point to write out what exactly happened: Blog
I want you to go here and to donate if you can: Charlie Benjamin Mann Tribute Fund
I want you to learn the signs of meningitis.
Because, like Katy, I want you to keep your babies safe.
I could write on and on about the days just before and after Charlie passed. His story affected a whole community of women, all from different places of the world. There were churches across oceans praying for this sweet boy and there were candles lit in more countries than you can imagine. Instead, I'll just let you read this family's story in their own words.
