Pig out at book launch for MRF
25 May 2010
At 7.30pm Saturday 3rd July at Cretingham golf club, Suffolk, local resident Anglo-Irish author Gerry Rose will be launching her anthology of short stories - ‘Feeding Strawberries to Pigs’. Gerry has chosen to donate all profits from the launch to the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF).
Gerry – an award winning author living in Cretingham – is a published author currently writing her second anthology of stories featuring characters from Suffolk. She’s supporting MRF with proceeds from a raffle, quiz and sales of her book. There will also be a hog roast and strawberries to celebrate the title of her book.
Gerry chose MRF as her son Angus contracted meningococcal septicaemia in November 1998. Mercifully he survived and is now a healthy 17 year old who is studying for a BTECH in performing arts at New Suffolk College. He will be reading one of his mother’s stories at the launch.
Gerry says: ‘Angus became ill so quickly. He was unable to walk and was so poorly that he was rushed to a specialist care centre at St Mary’s Paddington. He spent four days on life-support and it was four weeks before he could return to school.
“Thankfully we recognised the symptoms of meningitis, but not everyone is aware of them and it’s vitally important to catch the disease early. Angus was so lucky to recover, but if we’d left it any later he might not have been so fortunate.
“The Meningitis Research Foundation supported me and my family, and gave us crucial advice about after care. We were lucky - whilst Angus was in St Mary’s there were three other children who also had meningitis. Two made good recoveries but sadly one child had to have limbs amputated.
Tickets for the launch are £10. Email tickets4u2010@yahoo.co.uk, or contact the Cretingham golf club on 01728 685275 or mobile 07879 844020.