A COUPLE who lost their 14-month-old son to meningitis are travelling the country to raise awareness of the disease.

Chantal Kingswood, 39, and Adam de Silver, 34, were devastated when baby Reggie died on March 13 last year.

Chantal said: “When you lose your child, you lose your identity.

“Reggie was my only child, he was all of my focus and motivation.”

Reggie died within hours after he developed pneumococcal meningitis and septicaemia following a bout of influenza.

To raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of the disease, Chantal and Adam set off from Brighton yesterday for the Isle of Man on The Beep Beep Tour, named after Reggie’s favourite toy car.

Chantal, who lives with Adam in St Andrews Road, Portslade, said: “We have been planning this for 11 months and I can’t believe it’s finally here.

“I was so nervous as it’s not something I have ever done before.”

The Beep Beep Tour will see the couple and other drivers stopping at various locations across country for fundraising activities.

Their trip is in partnership with Meningitis Now, a charity founded by Steve Dayman after he lost his son Spencer to the disease 36 years ago.

Meningitis is inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord and it is usually contracted by bacteria or viruses.

Catherine Castillo, 35, whose daughter Valentina, now five, was at nursery with Reggie, has special reason to support the couple

When her 17-month-old son, Camilo, fell ill earlier this year she recognised the signs before it was too late.

She said: “Because everything was so fresh in my mind, I was aware of what could happen.

“When I saw two pinpricks on him Reggie came straight into my head.

“We rushed him to A&E and we found out he developed sepsis. If it wasn’t for Reggie’s story, I don’t know what could have happened.

“What Chantal and Adam are doing is saving lives.”

The tour began at the Modern World Cafe Bar in Madeira Drive.

Its owners, Neil Sykes and Stacie Inch helped organise the send-off event free after hearing Chantal and Adam’s story.

The tour will finish on the Isle of Man on Wednesday to coincide with Meningitis Awareness Day.