Children's horse show in memory of Maya

Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) Ambassador Dawn Whiteman from Crayford, London, organised a successful horse show for under 12s, raising funds for MRF, in memory of her granddaughter Maya Ford.

The annual event named ‘Colts & Fillies Under 12s Show’ is a fun day for beginners and encourages children to have a go at horse riding. This years’ event was attended by more than 40 families and was held on Sunday 16 September to mark the start of Meningitis Awareness Week.

It was hosted by the Fawkham & District Riding club at Warrigal Farm near Dartford. Maya had lived in Dartford with her parents Louise Whiteman and Tony Ford.

One year old Maya Ford was taken into Darent Valley Hospital A&E on 1 August 2012 and presented with convulsions, a rash, high temperature and fast heart rate. She had meningococcal septicaemia and tragically she died the next day.

Since Maya’s death, her family has worked tirelessly to raise funds for MRF, the charity that supported them after Maya died, and Dawn Whiteman became an Ambassador for MRF – raising awareness of the disease and representing the charity in her local community.

Earlier this year Dawn and her family reached a remarkable £100,000 in funds raised for MRF, but their incredible efforts continue with at least £1,100 already counted from the horse show.

Rob Dawson, Director of Support at MRF said, “Meningitis and septicaemia are deadly diseases that can strike without warning, killing one in ten, and leaving a third of survivors with life altering after-effects, some as serious as deafness, brain damage or limb loss.

“We're extremely grateful to Dawn and her family, and everyone involved in organising another successful event in memory of Maya. These funds help us enormously to continue our research, awareness and support programmes to ensure that other families don’t have to go through what Maya’s has as a result of meningitis and septicaemia.”