Mum from Lincolnshire leads fundraising campaign for meningitis research after daughter's diagnosis
Angelica contracted bacterial meningitis at eight weeks old in April this year
Last updated 7th Oct 2026
Georgina Blackhurst, a mum of three from Foston, is leading a fundraising campaign for the Meningitis Research Foundation after her youngest daughter Angelica' was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis earlier this year.
Angelica was born in February but suddenly became poorly in April. Georgina said: "She had minor symptoms, an intermittent temperature and she was slightly more lethargic but we felt like something wasn't quite right, so we took her to get checked out.
"We got her checked out a couple of times and we were reassured that she was doing okay, but I wanted a second opinion. We took her to a different hospital and unfortunately we found out she had bacterial meningitis, and within 48 hours of being at the hospital she deteriorated massively."
Georgina explains how they found out Angelica had a small brain haemorrhage which resulted in multiple seizures and Angelica became really unwell.
She added: "It was really quite frightening to see how quickly once she had been diagnosed that the disease took hold and how quickly she deteriorated from there".
When in hospital with Angelica, Georgina received support from the Meningitis Research Foundation. Georgina said: "It felt quite lonely being there and I was on my own googling and researching trying to find out more about meningitis and what it meant for Angelica.
"I then found the Meningitis Research Foundation website who have loads of guidance and a helpline that you can reach out to, which I did".
The charity sent Georgina guidelines and checklists on what to expect when in hospital with Angelica and what to expect if she pulled through and came home.
Georgina said: "We're really grateful she pulled through because the statistics show that one in three children under five will die from the disease if they contract it. We're really, really grateful that she's here, but we don't yet know how that diagnosis has affected her.
"It's just purely a waiting game. And I think that's why the Meningitis Research Foundation is so helpful because they provide this guidance of what to look out for and what side effects you might see.
Inspired by their assistance, Georgina has committed to raising money and awareness for the foundation and says: "We're really keen to turn something really horrible into something positive".
Georgina reflected: "When we were in hospital and Angelica was at her worst, it was the weekend of the London Marathon. I've always been quite a keen runner and I thought if she survives and pulls through I want to be on that start line and I want to be fundraising for the Meningitis Research Foundation.
"I feel really grateful to be able to say I'm running the London Marathon for them next year to raise as much awareness as possible".
A more local event -this week, children at Puddle Ducks swim school in Lincolnshire are being encouraged to come to their lessons in pyjamas to raise money for the charity. Georgina suggested the charity to the swim team for their Charity Pyjama Week.
So far, through these initiatives, Georgina has raised over £3,000 for the foundation to support ongoing research, awareness campaigns, and family support services.
Georgina and Angelica's story serves as a reminder of the need for recognising symptoms, and her efforts aim to boost resources and awareness.