TWO men will cycle 100 miles from Shropshire to Aberystwyth in memory of a one-year-old girl who died from meningitis.

The heart-breaking story of Fleur Rose Allen, who sadly died aged just 15 months after she contracted pneumococcal meningitis, spurred family friends Patrick Beddow and David Maybin, both from Broseley, Shropshire, to take up the challenge to raise money for the Meningitis Now charity.

Fleur’s mum and dad, Liz and Matt Allen, from Highley, Shropshire, had been trying for a baby for six years and, after 16 miscarriages, they were blessed with the birth of Fleur, albeit 10 weeks early, on New Year’s Eve 2014.

But on 4 April this year, just three days after Liz and Matt watched their daughter take her first steps, Fleur suffered a seizure after running a high temperature the previous day, and by 11.04pm that night Fleur passed away following multiple cardiac arrests.

Speaking to the Cambrian News this week, Patrick, 27, said the tragic passing of Fleur had come as a “massive blow” to Liz and Matt, and that he wanted to cycle to Aberystwyth in her memory because it was a place he loved so much a child, and a place he was sure Fleur would have loved too.

To find out more about Fleur’s story, donate money to Meningitis Now, or sign a petition calling for all children to be given the Meningitis B vaccine, visit: www.6hours.co.uk.

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