20 YEARS OF PRIDE OF BRITAIN
WHEN Steve and Gloria Dayman found their son Spencer tired and lethargic, they did not worry at first.
But when the 14-month-old did not perk up, Gloria’s GP suggested taking him to hospital.
Tragically, the lad never came home. He had meningitis, and his heartbroken parents had to watch him slip away.
Steve said: “He was such a healthy, happy boy. One minute he was here, the next he was gone.”
Spencer died in 1982. While battling with his grief, Steve researched the disease and found there was no readily available information or support for families.
He launched the Motorway Meningitis Appeal from his lorry park in Bristol. Steve said: “I wanted to do something Spencer would be proud of and protect others from the horrendous pain of losing a loved one.” In 1985, he set up the Stroud Meningitis Support Group, and was instrumental in establishing the Meningitis Research Foundation.
He also introduced the tumbler test to the public. Steve launched Meningitis UK in 1999 and it raised £7.5million for research, while supporting families affected by the disease.
The charity united with the Meningitis Trust in 2013, forming Meningitis Now. Steve received a Pride of Britain Special Recognition Award in 2014. He then had his sights set on a vaccine for meningitis B, the deadliest strain. The NHS started rolling it out nationally a year later. Steve, 71, said: “We still don’t have vaccines for every strain.
“We also want to make people aware this doesn’t just happen to babies. There’s still work to be done. I’ll carry on doing it for Spencer.”