A devoted mum from Saltash in Cornwall is preparing to run the Cardiff Half Marathon for Meningitis Research Foundation on Sunday 5th October – World Meningitis Day – in memory of her daughter Aimee, who tragically died from meningitis as a baby.
Amanda Warnett lost her daughter after she contracted meningococcal septicaemia when she was just nine months old. Despite initially being thought to have a virus, Aimee’s condition deteriorated rapidly, and she sadly passed away on 26th August 1988.
Since her loss, Amanda has channelled her grief into running, taking on huge endurance challenges in support of Meningitis Research Foundation. She has already completed three London Marathons, with her son Morgan also taking on the course in 2025 fundraising for Meningitis Research Foundation. Now, Amanda will once again proudly wear her Team MRF running vest as she takes on the Cardiff Half – part of the prestigious SuperHalfs series – aiming to complete it in under two hours.
Amanda said: “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.”
Founded by the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO) and co-ordinated by Meningitis Research Foundation, World Meningitis Day is the world’s largest day of collective action on meningitis. Taking place on 5th October 2025, it raises life-saving awareness of the disease, remembers those affected and calls for action from governments and health leaders worldwide.
Meningitis is fast, ruthless and deadly. It can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time – taking a healthy life in just 24 hours. 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 at taking part in the Cardiff Half Marathon, Amanda is among those sharing her story in Meningitis in your words to mark World Meningitis Day. 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. This would make it the world’s largest collection of meningitis experiences and help illustrate to international leaders the true impact of meningitis on communities worldwide.
To find out more about World Meningitis Day and how you can take action, visit worldmeningitisday.org.