Meningitis Now have created a new remembrance event to give families an opportunity to honour loved ones in a special lantern-lit walk.

On Sunday 4 October 2026 those wishing to remember loved ones either affected by or lost to meningitis will gather at Wythenshawe Park for an evening of remembrance.

Kelly will be joining us on the walk. She lost her 19-month-old son, Daniel, in 1996 from meningococcal septicaemia. Kelly says: “I’m taking part in a lantern walk in memory of my son Daniel, who sadly died from meningitis.

“My son Daniel James Cain, aged 19 months, died on 9th December 1996 less than 24 hours after first developing symptoms of meningitis. He woke on 8th December with a temperature and soon suffered a febrile convulsion, prompting an ambulance call. At the hospital, his condition rapidly worsened—he became unresponsive, though no rash was initially present.

“He underwent multiple treatments, including a lumbar puncture, to which he showed no reaction. During the night, a rash appeared. By the following morning, test results confirmed meningococcal septicaemia. By then, his organs were failing and his veins had collapsed. Daniel died in an ambulance while being transferred to Pendlebury Children’s Hospital.

“I’ll be doing the Lantern Memory Walk with my adult daughter Shannon, giving us a special way to remember Daniel together through light.

“We wanted to do something meaningful as a family. It’s a way for us to honour him, strengthen our bond, and show support for others affected.”

As dusk falls, walkers will gather together, each carrying a lit lantern — a symbol of love, reflection and unity. They will honour lives taken too soon, cherish the memories they hold dear, and stand together in hope for a future free from meningitis.