From Mike Levin, Professor of Paediatrics, St Mary's Hospital:- I WONDER if any of your readers have been fortunate in securing places in this year's London Marathon? And if so, would they like to join with me to help fight meningitis?

As Professor of Paediatrics at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, I have treated hundreds of children with this devastating disease. To lose a child to meningitis is every parent's worst nightmare, and although we are able to successfully treat many cases, children (and adults) can also be left with severe disabilities.

As well as caring for critically ill children, my team works to protect future generations from meningitis. The Meningitis Research Foundation laboratories at St Mary's are a leading centre in the study of meningitis and septicaemia. We are constantly developing improved treatments, and are working to develop a vaccine to prevent people contracting meningitis. In April we will be pulling on our running shoes to run alongside those who have lost loved ones to the disease.

I and two other members of our research team will be running in the London Marathon to raise funds for the Meningitis Research Foundation, which is a national charity funding a wide range of research into the detection, prevention and treatment of meningitis. We would like other runners to also commit their sponsorship to this very worthwhile cause, or if you are not running yourself, would you be willing to sponsor us, or make a donation?

Anyone who would like to help us fight today's most feared childhood infection, should contact Lynne Bastard on 01454 281811 or please write to: The Meningitis Research Foundation, 13 High St., Thornbury, Bristol, BS12 2AE.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.