By Helen Turnbull
Amanda Warnett, from Saltash in Cornwall is preparing to run the Cardiff Half Marathon on Sunday 5th October, in memory of her daughter who tragically died from meningitis as a baby. The half-marathon falls on World Meningitis Day, endorsing Warnett’s goal of spreading awareness about this fatal disease.
The Cornish mother lost her daughter, Aimee, after she contracted meningococcal septicaemia at just nine months old. Devastatingly, Aimee’s condition deteriorated rapidly, and she passed away on 26th August 1988.
Since losing her beloved daughter, Amanda Warnett has funnelled her grief into running, undertaking endurance challenges in aid of Meningitis Research Foundation. So far, Amanda has completed three London Marathons, with her son, Morgan, following in her footsteps as he ran the 2025 London Marathon for MRF.
Amanda Warnett says as she warms up for the Cardiff Half, part of the prestigious SuperHalfs series, that “running has always been my way to feel close to Aimee. When I run, I imagine her running wild and free alongside me. On World Meningitis Day, I’ll be thinking of Aimee every step of the way. That’s why I’ve chose to support Meningitis Research Foundation because research and awareness can prevent other families from experiencing the pain we went through.” The mum wishes to complete the event on World Meningitis Day in under two hours. Founded by the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations and co-ordinated by Meningitis Research Foundation, World Meningitis Day is the world’s largest day of collective action on meningitis.
Amanda’s plan to run the half-marathon in memory of her daughter on World Meningitis Day perfectly aligns with her goal of raising life-saving awareness of the disease and commemorate those who have lost their life to it.
Meningitis is a ruthless disease which can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time. Every year, there are around 2.3 million cases of meningitis globally.
Charlotte Ulett, Senior Events and Community Fundraising Manager at Meningitis Research Foundation, said: “World Meningitis Day is the global moment to raise awareness of meningitis and Amanda’s story shows exactly why defeating meningitis matters. By taking on the Cardiff Half Marathon in memory of her daughter, she is helping to shine a light on the urgent need for action. Meningitis can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time – but together, through awareness, vaccines and research, we can protect lives and prevent families from experiencing such heartbreaking loss.”
As well as marking World Meningitis Day by running the half-marathon, Amanda is sharing her story in Meningitis in your words. Told in people’s own words, each story is shared to foster understanding, offer comfort and above all, save lives. The goal is to collect 2,030 stories – a figure to reflect the World Health Organization’s Global Road Map to Defeat Meningitis by 2030.
To find out more about World Meningitis Day and how you can take action, visit worldmeningitisday.org.
