In April 2021, Evie Laycock had been helping to look after a new grandchild when she suddenly fell ill. She then spend more than a month in hospital as it became clear that the South Shields woman had encephalitis - a potentially lethal brain condition.
Now - to mark World Encephalitis Day on February 22 2022 - the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust has answered a call to illuminate its hospitals red to "shine a light on encephalitis" as part of an international campaign. Worldwide, more than 220 landmarks across 27 countries will glow on Wednesday at night.
This will include in Piccadilly Circus in London and at Niagara Falls.
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For Evie, husband Peter and their family, the day is a chance to highlight the terrifying condition which could have cost Evie her life. Encephalitis is an uncommon but serious condition in which the brain becomes inflamed - and it can be life-threatening. It effects 500,000 people across the world each year.
Evie, who is now 60, had spent the day helping her daughter Kerry Taylor, 29, after the arrival of a new baby when she became suddenly ill. Peter took her to A&E at South Tyneside District Hospital - and she then spent 16 days there and 16 at the RVI in Newcastle. Her condition was caused when she contracted a virus.
Peter, a semi-retired electrician, said: "I came home from work that day and she didn’t feel very well and she kept repeating herself, which didn’t seem right, so I took her to A&E. Encephalitis can be absolutely devastating, really we had no idea about it before it happened to us.
"It’s brilliant the buildings will be lit up and I want people to understand the reason behind it. We want to tell people about what this means and push those conversations so people know more."
Despite treatment helping to tackle Evie's condition, she has been left with the after-effects of a brain injury - and has followed a recovery programme including speech and language therapy. During that time, she was given treatment to bring down the swelling, but it has left her with the after effects of a brain injury.
The former Harton Academy and Harton Primary School worker was left unable to recognise those she knew and she still has issues with her memory. Since Evie's illness, the family - including daughter Kerry Taylor, her husband Nathan, and Evie's son's Eddie, Christopher and Andrew - has worked hard to raise money and awareness for the Encephalitis Society.
Richard Telford, the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust’s clinical director of Neurology, said: "We’re grateful to Peter, Evie and their family for raising awareness of this condition following their own experiences. We’re happy to play a part in that by turning our buildings red.
"Anyone at any age can get encephalitis, no two people affected with have the same outcome and the effects can be long-term. We also know the brain can take much longer to recover from an injury that other parts of the body.
“We know it is important that investigations are carried out as soon as possible as prompt diagnosis for a patient can save their lives and improves their chances to recover."
Dr Ava Easton, chief executive of the Encephalitis Society, said: “Most people have not heard of encephalitis unless it has happened to them or a loved one and we are determined to change that."
Dr Easton said the charity was grateful to the NHS trust for helping to raise awareness, and added: "Encephalitis is a thief – robbing families of their loved ones or, if they survive, the person they once knew. It steals memories, personalities, and abilities we take for granted: concentration, attention, thinking, judgement, inhibition.
“For many of our members there are additional challenges such as epilepsy and levels of fatigue so great that returning to a normal working life can be difficult.”
For more information about World Encephalitis Day, visit worldencephalitisday.org or search for the #Red4WED and #WorldEncephalitisDay hashtags.
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