I was saddened to read that tiny Tilly Lockey lost her hands to meningococcal septicaemia when she was just 15 months old.

Everyone at Meningitis UK was touched to read that Liz Laidler, of Weardale Studios, Stanhope, County Durham, donated £275 to the Give Tilly A Hand Appeal after a national competition win.

We wish Tilly and her family the best with their fundraising and for the future.

Meningitis can strike with incredible speed and the symptoms are notoriously difficult to detect.

They are often confused with flu.

For these reasons, we believe preventative measures are the best solution.

Our sole focus is to fund the development of vaccines and other methods of preventing this devastating disease.

Our Search 4 A Vaccine Campaign aims to raise at least £7m to fund lifesaving research into stamping out all forms of meningitis.

In the absence of a vaccine, we also distribute a wide range of material to raise awareness of the common symptoms and the need to act quickly, which can mean the difference between life and death.

If any of your readers would like a symptoms information pack, including wallet-sized symptoms cards, or to find out more about supporting our Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign, they can call Meningitis UK on 0117 947 6320 or visit meningitisUK.org

Kate Rowland, chief executive, Meningitis UK