Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel may have played his “last football game” with surgery required on his shoulder but he is eager to “fight” to regain fitness.

The Denmark international, 39, last played on 22 February and will have the first of two operations later this month. He will miss his country’s World Cup play-off semi-final against North Macedonia on 26 March.

The former Leicester City keeper is out of contract at the end of the season and faces up to a year of recovery.

“I could’ve potentially played my last football game,” Schmeichel told CBS Sports Golazo.

“I’ve been a footballer since the day I was born. It’s devastating. It’s very, very hard to wrap my head around at the moment.

“I got the message [on Tuesday] that it could potentially be the end of my career. By the time I could get back fit I could be plus 40.

“I’m going to give it everything I can to see if I can get back. It would be probably one of the greatest feats of my career if I could ever get back from an injury like this. I’m going to fight, I’m going to try everything I can. I’m going to do the rehab.”

On a sweltering summer day in 2011, Maya Silver was hiking through Colorado’s remote Unaweep Canyon when her then-boyfriend started to grow frustrated with her pace. The sun was blazing overhead, the terrain was difficult, and she couldn’t keep up. Without a word, he stormed ahead — and then vanished from sight. Silver, an inexperienced hiker at the time, spent the next two hours alone, lost and spiraling with fears of rattlesnake bites, heatstroke, and the suffocating isolation of the canyon.

“After one hour, you start spiralling in your head,” she says. “I worried that I might never get off the trail and find him, that he had left me completely, or I would take a wrong turn and trip and fall.”

Silver experienced what has more recently been dubbed “alpine divorce,” a new dating term that describes the physical abandonment of a significant other, intentionally or unintentionally, in the mountains. Online, women have recounted experiences like Silver’s: being guided by a more experienced male partner on hikes, only to be left stranded — and with the unsettling sense that their partner does not have their best interests at heart. Some women say in their online testimonies that their experience of alpine divorce was an early sign of their partner’s emotional or physical abuse. While there are no statistics available to illustrate its scale yet, the uproar online suggests it is surprisingly common: one Reddit post on the topic has more than 1000 comments from women sharing similar experiences.

The term “alpine divorce” dates back to a 1893 short story by Scottish-Canadian author Robert Barr, in which a man plots to push his wife off a mountain. While fictional, the story taps into a long-standing fear of betrayal in remote, high-risk environments. The term went mainstream last month, after Austrian climber Thomas Plamberger was found guilty of gross negligent manslaughter for leaving his girlfriend to freeze to death during a hike on Grossglockner, Austria’s highest mountain at 14,461ft (3,798 meters), in 2025. The judge ruled that Plamberger was responsible for Gurtner, noting that his mountaineering skills were “galaxies” beyond hers and criticizing him for failing to assess her abilities. (Plamberger has denied criminal wrongdoing and is appealing.) During the trial, his ex-girlfriend Andrea Bergener testified that he had left her alone on a night hike on Grossglockner years earlier — though, in her case, she had fortunately managed to descend the mountain safely on her own.

open image in gallery

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Silver, now an experienced climber and editor of Climbing Magazine, was later reunited with her boyfriend after her two arduous hours of survival and was furious with him. They broke up a few months later. But Silver still wonders what could have happened if she had not safely found her way back. “Things could have gone south,” she tells me. “You can see so many instances where this could have become a really big search and rescue situation, or it could have been fatal.”

The most common — and less extreme — form of alpine divorce occurs when one partner walks ahead during a hike, leaving the other alone after a minor argument. Minaa B, a New York-based social worker and relationship expert, describes it as a form of abandonment trauma. Being left behind on a hike can trigger a powerful fight-or-flight response, flooding the nervous system with fear and leaving a person disoriented and panicked. “It can be very dysregulating to the nervous system for somebody to be abandoned in either an unfamiliar environment or even an unsafe environment,” says Minaa B. Not having access to resources, like a working cell phone or a blanket, can add to the severity of the situation, too. “You might feel fear. You might feel extreme stress in that moment,” she says. “There’s a threat to your safety that’s happening.”

The relationship expert compares alpine divorce to ghosting — the sudden, unexplained cutoff of communication in a romantic relationship, often used to avoid confrontation. “People who struggle with emotional maturity and direct communication can find it easier to abandon someone versus having a very clear conversation about wanting to end the relationship,” says Minaa B. “This is an extreme form of ghosting, except it’s not happening in the digital space. It’s happening in real life to people.”

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Alpine divorces are usually the result of a communication breakdown, says Dr. Jessica Carbino, a relationship expert and former sociologist for Bumble and Tinder. “It represents someone’s capacity to control their impulses,” she explains. “People who would engage in this type of behavior are having a challenge regulating their stress and becoming panicked or very anxious. And they then engage in these incredibly impulsive behaviors, like leaving somebody on a mountain, abandoning them and walking away.”

Power dynamics play a big role, too. The image of a man abandoning a woman, leaving her vulnerable, taps into traditional gender roles that assume the man leads and the woman follows. “Men historically have the power to determine the grounds for all interactions,” says Carbino. “By walking away from a conversation, you are taking the power back. You are denying the opportunity for interaction, and that certainly has a gender element to it.”

When a partner abandons you in a remote setting, it’s a profound breach of trust that’s hard to repair. According to Minaa B, it may signal that your needs aren’t a priority — and could be a sign it’s time to walk away. “That experience can trickle into how you perceive the relationship, the fact that your partner did abandon you in this way,” she adds. “And I think the question for that person experiencing that is, ‘What does this mean about trust?’”

As a regular alpinist with nearly 20 years of experience, Silver now knows what it takes to be prepared for a difficult hike. She hopes that less-experienced climbers, and women in particular, are not put off by these stories circulating online, but that they take extra caution when embarking on dates in more isolated locations.

“If you have any apprehension or lack of experience, do the research, ask the hard questions, don’t accept the answers point-blank [from your partner or date],” says Silver. If in doubt, pick somewhere familiar, busy and within cell reception service. “If you have any inkling that something isn’t right, suggest something much more mellow, go to the climbing gym instead. Or, choose a hiking route that you’ve done before.” It’s a sad reality, but one that all women should be aware of.

The national domestic abuse helpline offers support for women on 0808 2000 247, or you can visit the Refuge website. There is a dedicated men’s advice line on 0808 8010 327. Those in the US can call the domestic violence hotline on 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org

Members of North Yorkshire Council’s executive voted on Tuesday (March 17) to adopt a masterplan framework for Maltkiln, which would be built around Cattal railway station, near Harrogate.

The framework will be used to shape the development of the new community, which, as well as housing, includes primary schools, shops, and health and sports facilities.

Councillor Mark Crane, executive member for open to business, told the committee that work was progressing on the scheme.

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“This is a high-level document that’s in front of us today. A lot more work needs doing on it, but we are getting towards the stage where hopefully in the next year or two we’ll see spades in the ground and the start of a new settlement which will be very accessible because of the train line, with the bus service we’re hoping will be there as well.

“(It will have) buildings that are of a high standard and require a lot less heating than older buildings would do. It’s a positive story, although what you will always find is everybody supports new settlements as long as they’re nowhere near them.”

A map of the proposed development

Councillor Carl Les, leader of the authority, added: “We’ve been talking about this for a long, long time since we inherited it from Harrogate (Borough Council).

“I think the really worrying thing is that to meet our housing targets, we need a Maltkiln every year.”

The framework was approved despite concerns from some local councillors.

Ahead of the meeting, Councillor Arnold Warneken, member for the Ouseburn division, urged the executive to delay adopting the framework until further consultation work had taken place with local communities.

Arthritis is often associated with older age, but it also affects children. One of the most common forms is juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), an inflammatory condition that causes persistent joint swelling and pain.

For reasons that remain unclear, between 10% and 30% of children with JIA also develop uveitis, an inflammatory disease of the eye. In some cases, this eye inflammation does not respond to treatment and can lead to sight loss.

A recent study from our laboratory shows that immune cells called B cells, best known for producing antibodies, play a previously underappreciated role in driving this process and may point to new treatment approaches.

JIA is diagnosed when a child or young person under 16 develops inflammation in at least one joint for more than six weeks with no clear cause. Around one in 1,000 children in the UK are affected. The condition includes several subtypes, most of which are autoimmune, meaning the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues.

Outcomes vary. With treatment, some children experience long periods of remission and may outgrow the condition. For others, inflammation persists into adulthood and can cause joint damage and disability. JIA can also affect organs beyond the joints, including the skin, gut and eyes. When it involves the eye, the condition is known as JIA-associated uveitis.

Much remains unknown about why some children with JIA develop eye inflammation while others do not. It is unclear whether the same immune pathways drive disease in both joints and eyes, or why inflammation most often affects the front of the eye, known as anterior uveitis. In many cases, the condition is silent and painless, allowing damage to accumulate unnoticed. Regular eye screening is therefore essential.

Several risk factors are well established. Girls and children who develop JIA early in life, particularly before the age of six, are more likely to develop uveitis. Children who test positive for antinuclear antibodies are also at increased risk.

Even so, the biological mechanisms linking arthritis and eye disease remain poorly understood, and the role of antibody-producing B cells has received relatively little attention.

To investigate this, our study analysed blood samples from more than 150 children with arthritis. Certain types of B cells were more abundant in those who had developed uveitis than in children with arthritis alone. A distinctive aspect of the research was the opportunity to examine samples taken directly from affected eyes.

In some children, uveitis can lead to cataracts or glaucoma, making surgery necessary to preserve vision. During these procedures, small amounts of biological material that would normally be discarded can be collected for research. Using these samples, we found that activated B cells had migrated into the eyes of children with JIA-associated uveitis.

Laboratory experiments showed that blocking communication between B cells and another type of immune cell, known as T cells, significantly reduced inflammation. The drug used to achieve this is already being tested in clinical trials for multiple sclerosis and lupus, raising the possibility of repurposing it for children with treatment-resistant disease.

The need for new approaches is clear. Currently, one in four children with JIA-associated uveitis do not respond to the only approved biologic therapy, and by age 18 nearly a third have lost some vision in at least one eye.

These findings point to a potential new treatment pathway and highlight a broader issue in medical research. There is often a delay of many years before therapies developed for adults are tested in children, even when the underlying inflammatory mechanisms are similar.

Improving how discoveries are translated into paediatric care could significantly change outcomes for children with arthritis and uveitis. Earlier intervention, targeted therapies and faster access to treatments already being explored in adult disease may help prevent vision loss, and reduce the long-term burden on children and their families.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Moulin Rouge!, Baz Luhrmann’s reinvention of the movie musical. There is little doubt the movie musical was on the decline in the 1980s and 90s. The only real contender during that period was Disney (who released Beauty and the Beast in 1991 and The Lion King in 1994).

The musical was slowly being replaced by what contemporary critics called the “musically oriented film”, starting with 1977’s Saturday Night Fever, then Fame (1981), Flashdance (1983) and Footloose (1984). This trend extended to films whose soundtracks proved irresistible. Think Top Gun (1983), Quentin Tarantino’s bold soundtracks (Pulp Fiction in 1994 and Jackie Brown in 1997), alongside Nora Ephron’s nostalgic throwbacks in Sleepless in Seattle (1989) and You’ve Got Mail (1998).

These poppy soundtracks – full of songs you know but haven’t heard in a while – provided the perfect platform for Luhrmann to introduce a new kind of jukebox musical.

Not only did Moulin Rouge! pack an extraordinary number of songs into its duration – over 20, when a classic musical such as 1934’s Top Hat might contain as few as five tunes – it did so in a way that no musical had ever done before.

Traditional musicals tended to construct their song and dance sequences via long takes while also maintaining a good distance from performers. This was in order to preserve the integrity of the number. It was thought important to capture a dancer’s full body so as to appreciate the athleticism and wholeness of a performance. This was central for Fred Astaire (say in Swing Time, 1936), Gene Kelly (in Singin’ in the Rain, 1952) and even Marylin Monroe (in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, 1953). The integrity of the performance was everything. Not so for Luhrmann, who introduced cut-up, super-edited song and dance numbers at breakneck speed.

The average shot length in Moulin Rouge! is under two seconds: a very fast pace for the time. While acceptable for an action movie, nothing like this had ever been done in a musical. It is likely that Luhrmann gained inspiration from pop music video culture — the “MTV aesthetic” — that had been de rigueur on TV screens for a good ten to 15 years. He had already borrowed from it in his previous films, Strictly Ballroom (1992) and William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996).

From one world to another

Moulin Rouge! nevertheless borrows one of the main traits of movie musicals. The story of Moulin Rouge! is the story of the attempts of its main characters to go from one world to another.

We find this in many classic musicals. It’s in Dorothy’s dream of leaving Kansas and journeying to Oz, and then in her desire to return home again in The Wizard of Oz (1939). It’s in Maria’s desire to leave the convent in The Sound of Music (1965). Or most emphatically in Tommy’s desire to leave Manhattan and live the rest of his days in a fantasy world in Brigadoon (1954).

In Moulin Rouge!, Christian (Ewan McGregor) wants to leave his current world behind and enter a world in which he is a great writer. Satine (Nicole Kidman), too, desires to leave the world in which she is a dancer at the Moulin Rouge and enter a new world in which she will be a “real” actress on stage in the legitimate theatre.

As happens so often in the musical genre, our characters try to get to a new world by way of song and dance. That is, by putting on a show – what is generally termed a “backstage musical”. When Christian sings Your Song, he is intimating that Satine has opened up a new world for him (“How wonderful life is now you’re in the world”). Satine herself is even more emphatic in singing One Day I’ll Fly Away – and that may be her best way of getting from one world to another.

Do our characters make it to their new worlds? Indeed, Christian does: he becomes a writer and the film we see is his version of the story. But this is not so for Satine – she dies. There certainly are musicals that do not have happy endings, such as West Side Story (1961), Funny Girl (1968) and All that Jazz (1979). But it was was an extraordinarily bold move to chart the demise of the film’s most glamorous performer and biggest star. In this way Luhrmann’s debt may be more akin to opera, such as Puccini’s La Boheme (1869) or Verdi’s La Traviata (1853).

In the end, Moulin Rouge! grounds its stylistic excess in a simple credo: “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” As Satine does not survive to enter the future she imagines, love crosses a different boundary – death itself. Christian’s private grief becomes public art, and the romance endures as story and song. Love does not avert tragedy, but it grants it form, and in doing so allows it to last.

“It’s actually so sad to see that the tournament directors and the tournaments not protecting us as players. They just care about their [sales], about their tournament and that’s it.

“I’m not sure if I ever want to go there after his comment. For me it’s too much.”

Sabalenka won the Indian Wells title on Sunday, her first tournament since losing the final of the Australian Open in January.

“Going into this season, we decided… to prioritise my health and make sure we have these little gaps in the schedule where I can reset, recharge, work and be better prepared for bigger tournaments,” said Sabalenka, who will attempt to defend her Miami Open title this week.

“I feel like the scheduling is going crazy and that’s why you see so many players injured, always taped and not delivering the best quality matches because it’s almost impossible.”

American two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff said: “Iga and Aryna have played that tournament so many times and it wasn’t anything personal to it.

“It’s tough. We’re trying our best to play the calendar. I completely understand why she would feel like that because the comments were unnecessary.”

Players have regularly voiced concerns about the congested tennis calendar, which stretches across 11 months of the year for the top players.

The new study found that a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables, berries, nuts and olive oil could also reduce the risk of dementia.

People whose diet contained lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts, fish, beans, olive oil and poultry plus a “moderate intake” of wine, while limiting red meat, fried foods and sweets, were analysed.

The diet was linked to less brain tissue loss over time, especially grey matter, and less “ventricular enlargement”, which is a marker of brain ageing.

The researchers wrote that “grey matter atrophy and ventricle volume enlargement are well-established markers of brain ageing”, adding that grey matter “plays a key role in memory, learning and decision making” while ventricular enlargement reflects tissue loss.

They concluded that “foods rich in antioxidants, such as berries, and high-quality protein sources like poultry, may reduce oxidative stress and mitigate neuronal damage”.

“Conversely, fast fried foods, often high in unhealthy fats, trans fats and advanced glycation end-products, may contribute to inflammation and vascular damage,” they wrote.

Writing in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, experts analysed data from 1,647 people with an average age of 60.

They looked at their adherence to the “Mind” diet, which stands for the Mediterranean-Dash Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.

It is designed to support brain health and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and includes many plant-based, antioxidant-rich foods while limiting saturated fats and added sugars.

All people in the study completed food frequency questionnaires and had at least two brain MRI scan assessments.

During an average monitoring period of 12 years, as people got older, they displayed loss of brain matter alongside other markers of brain loss.

But those who stuck to the diet most closely had slower grey matter shrinkage and loss.

Each three-point increase in adherence to the diet was linked with slower loss, equivalent to 20% less age-related decline and two-and-a-half years of delayed brain ageing, the study found.

Similarly, each three-point increase was associated with slower expansion of total ventricular volume, equivalent to 8% less tissue loss and one year of delayed brain ageing.

The findings also suggested that benefits were greater in older people and those who were active and not overweight, suggesting that combined lifestyle approaches may have a significant effect.

Reacting to the study, Dr Jacqui Hanley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Taken together with earlier evidence, the findings add to growing indications that eating a balanced diet, staying active and taking other healthy steps may support our brain health as we age.

“More long‑term studies in diverse groups are still needed to untangle the role of diet, genetics and other factors.”

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Professor Catey Bunce, statistical ambassador at the Royal Statistical Society, said: “As with many observational studies, the results are interesting and may point to possible associations, but they should not be interpreted as definitive evidence that the diet directly prevents brain ageing.”

Michelle Dyson, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “The Lancet Commission, which was part funded by Alzheimer’s Society, found nearly half of dementia cases globally are linked to modifiable risk factors – things that can be changed either on an individual or societal level – and could potentially be prevented or delayed.

“Continuing to grow our understanding of risk, and encouraging people to quit smoking, keep physically active, eat a healthy balanced diet, control blood pressure and drink less alcohol can all help reduce the risk of dementia.”

The cafe was an off-shoot of a takeaway loved by Michelin, 6,000 miles away in Hong Kong

A popular Bury café is saying farewell to Greater Manchester after two years of calling it home. Nestled in a row of terraced houses, LOJO Mate came to prominence early last year as an inconspicuous dining spot serving up dishes from thousands of miles away.

Established in 2024, it was an off-shoot of highly rated takeaway called Sai Kwan Lo Jo, which was established over 6,000 miles away in Hong Kong. Operating for several years, the original spot specialised in food from China’s Guangdong’s Xiguan region, such as hand-made lai fun noodles and sticky rice dumplings.

For three years it consistently made it onto the Michelin Guide’s prestigious Bib Gourmand list. But then it suddenly closed with its owners called it quits on its takeaway citing the pandemic, closures happening around them and a period of low earnings.

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However, one of its founders decided to up sticks and move to the UK, landing in Bury, where he established LOJO Mate with a focus on Hong Kong-inspired dishes. Run only by Alex, the café situated on Tottington Road seated no more than 12 people and had a WhatsApp reservation system, served up amazing bowls of char siu – otherwise known as ‘Sorrowful Rice of Ecstasy’.

Over the weekend though, Alex confirmed to customers via a social media post that he was bidding farewell to Manchester. “Two years in Manchester. Time for the next chapter. Thank you to all our char siu lovers. See you soon…in another city,” he wrote on Instagram over the weekend.

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Many of the cafes dishes were made to order, and its menu spanned classics from its original Sai Kwan including noodles, rice dumplings and cheesy rice pops, to Lo Jo special rice bowls featuring an array of ingredients such as SPAM sticks, pork chop and scrambled egg.

Illustrating the British crossover, he also served up traditional Hong Kong Breakfast with soup-based pasta and ham, a all-day meal with noodles, eggs, butter and toast as well an English fry up. Snacks included sandwiches, French fries, deep-fried chicken leg, Hong Kong French toast, as well as the much-loved char siu.

Reacting to the post that Lo Jo Mate was no more in Bury, one customer wrote: “I travelled there from London and really loved your place. All the best with your next project.”

Another wrote: “Never even got the chance to try in Manchester! Long shot, but please move to Glasgow.”

While a number of customers shared where they think Alex should head to next, including Leeds, London and Bristol, the café owner is remaining tight-lipped about the future of Lo Jo Mate, though he confirmed to the Manchester Evening News that it will reopen in a new location, which will be confirmed soon.

“Creates a cosy, ambient atmosphere as the sun sets. Perfect for patios, porches or al fresco parties.”

With brighter skies and milder temperatures on the horizon, thoughts are turning towards refreshing our gardens for spring. Outdoor lighting can add ambience to your garden, and we’ve discovered how Argos customers can get their hands on the Home Solar Flickering Candle Lantern completely free through a new deal.

Via savvy deals website TopCashback, new members of the site can snap up the lights for free by signing up via this unique link. Even if you’re an existing member of TopCashback and Argos you can still get the product for free by signing up as well.

The Argos website describes the product as follows: “Light up evenings in the garden with our flickering Solar Candle Lantern. Bathe in the glow of up to 6 hours of LED candlelight when fully charged. Suspend the stylish black cage by its handle to add a warm welcoming glow to any outdoor space. Creates a cosy, ambient atmosphere as the sun sets. Perfect for patios, porches or al fresco parties.”

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Complete features of the lantern include:

• Composition: plastic.
• Solar powered.
• No wiring required.
• Automatically turns on at dusk.
• 6 hours run time if fully charged.
• 48 hours of full sun light required to fully charge battery.
• Battery is recharged via the solar panel.
• Requires AA x 1 battery(included) .
• LED bulb (included).
• Size H36, W18, D18cm.
• Assembly required.

Meanwhile on Amazon, these Festoon LED lights have been discounted to £24.99 (prices correct at time of publication), reports the Liverpool Echo.

For something a bit different, Dunelm stocks these Floral 10 LED Solar Festoon String Lights priced at £12, which are solar-powered. They feature warm white LEDs providing a ‘soft and decorative’ aesthetic.

In the Argos reviews for the Solar Candle Lantern, one customer commented: “Good size and stylish for the patio with warm a glow.”

Another review stated: “Lovely lamp with candle.”

However, one shopper did express concerns about the lantern’s colour in their review, saying: “Bought two to hang in the patio alongside other solar fence lights. Good size and looks the part, however as the light is a very orangey glow, it contrasted too much against the white fence lights and wasn’t bright enough for the purpose, so had to return both.”

How to get Argos garden lights for free

• To claim the new member bonus, new members of TopCashback need to sign up via the TopCashback website.
• Search for Argos click ‘Get Cashback Now’.
• Shop and checkout as usual.
• Cashback will then track and appear in your TopCashback account within seven working days of your purchase.

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Noa-Rose became critically ill with meningitis B despite veing vaccinated

A mum has shared her terrifying ordeal after her daughter was struck down by meningitis despite being fully vaccinated. Emma Alderman said her daughter Noa-Rose became critically ill after what began as a completely normal day.

The now seven-year-old complained of pain in her legs before falling asleep on the sofa. When Emma, 41, checked on her just 30 minutes later, she noticed she had a high temperature and a rash on her thigh. “It started so suddenly,” said Emma, from Cefn Fforest, Caerphilly.

“She’s been playing in the park with my husband that morning and was absolutely fine. When she came home, she began complaining of pain in her legs. Noa-Rose fell asleep on the sofa and when I checked on her, she had developed a high temperature, her hands and feet were cold, and a rash had appeared on her thigh. It quickly spread to her shoulder and stomach.”

Emma and husband Scott, 47, rushed the girl to the hospital where she was diagnosed with Meningococcal Meningitis Type B, whooping cough and flu. Doctors said that if Emma hadn’t acted so quickly, it could have been fatal.

Emma said: “Her little body was taking an enormous hit. We knew she was seriously unwell, but we never imagined meningitis. She had received all her vaccinations, including her booster just eight weeks earlier.

“When we heard the word meningitis, we were terrified. I knew how fast it can become fatal. Doctors told us that bringing her in when we did saved her life. If we had waited, she would not have survived.

“They didn’t say what caused it, just that it was an isolated case.”

Despite pulling through since the scary ordeal in December 2022, Noa-Rose has been left with long-term health complications including epilepsy. She has two seizures a month.

The youngster is still undergoing tests and there is a possibility she may require brain surgery in the future. Emma said: “She takes daily medication and life is very different for her now. She has frequent hospital appointments and her bedroom has a camera, a seizure mattress and epilepsy alarm.

“No child should be governed by a medication schedule. My message to anyone who suspects meningitis is simple, be decisive, go to hospital and get checked. Meningitis progresses incredibly fast and can be fatal within hours.

“Knowing the signs and symptoms can save a life. I absolutely know what the families in Kent are going through. My heart goes out to everyone impacted by the outbreak. We know only too well how stressful and uncertain this time is for them all.”

Since the ordeal, Emma has become a community volunteer, helping to raise awareness of the disease and its symptoms. The family has also taken part in a series of fundraising challenges.

Her husband climbed Mont Blanc, raising around £2,500, while Emma organised community events including a Halloween party and a festive fundraiser. In their most recent challenge, Noa-Rose herself climbed Pen y Fan, the highest peak in South Wales, raising more than £5,000.

Emma added: “Throughout our journey, we have been supported by Meningitis Now. They have been helping families for 40 years and have contributed £13 million towards vaccine research. Their support has meant everything to us.

“We wanted to give something back. Our purpose is not only to raise funds, but to raise awareness, so no family ever has to experience what we did.”