The thought of brave son kept mother going on her greatest trip

SARAH Evans sat on the most famous wall in the world, admired the view and gathered her thoughts.

Exhausted, filthy and soaking with sweat, the 40-year-old knew she had achieved her biggest ambition.

Her trek across part of the Great Wall of China was complete and she had raised more than £6,000 for charity.

"It's hard to explain how I felt," said the mum-of-three. "It was very emotional. I'd worked so hard. It was tough but I'd managed it.

"All kinds of emotions washed over me. I felt so proud. I felt sad. I think I felt every emotion possible."

There were three reasons why Sarah put her busy life on hold to take part in a week-long trek across the Great Wall earlier this month.

She wanted to mark her 40th birthday, prove to herself she could conquer this gruelling feat despite arthritis but more importantly, celebrate her eldest son's life.

Nine-year-old Edward was left severely disabled after suffering pneumococcal meningitis when he was just eight-months-old.

He had been poorly for several days before he was admitted to hospital and doctors confirmed he had meningitis.

Edward had emergency surgery to relieve the swelling on his brain. He suffered prolonged seizures afterwards in intensive care – but pulled through.

"We feel very lucky to have Ed with us," said Sarah. "I remember being given a leaflet about meningitis at the hospital and reading the survival rate was low. I stopped reading after that.

"It was all too much and a very stressful time. I literally lived at the hospital while Ed was receiving treatment. It was hard to deal with everything.

"It was about a month later when we finally got home and started to put our lives back together. At that point, we didn't know how Ed would be.

"It was too soon to see how badly he had been affected by the meningitis."

It is only now that Edward has got older that the extent of his disabilities have become apparent. As a result of the meningitis, Edward is profoundly deaf and visually impaired. He suffers from cerebral palsy and learning difficulties, and he has seizures every day.

He uses a specialist walking frame, bought by The Meningitis Trust, to increase his mobility, which means he can spend time being upright and on his feet.

Sarah said: "The gait trainer helps to build up strength and promotes good bone and joint formation.

"Being upright instead of sitting down all the time is also good for Edward's circulation and digestion and general health. We can't thank the Meningitis Trust enough for all their help and support."

Sarah's husband, Owen, who is visually impaired, took time off work so Sarah was able to complete her Chinese adventure.

He looked after their three children, Ed and six-year-old Abigail and two-year-old Philip.

"This walk was for Ed," said Sarah. "Also, I wanted to raise money for The Meningitis Trust.

"It was my way of saying thank you and doing something worthwhile in return.

"All our lives changed when Ed suffered with meningitis. I wanted to mark what we've been through.

"It was an amazing experience. I kept close contact with my family.

"My phone bill was huge when got back."

Sarah committed herself to the charity event last year. After signing the application form, she started doing more walking and spent time at the gym in the month before.

"I'm glad my mum bought me two walking sticks," she smiled. "They were invaluable. The paths were very uneven and some of the steps were big and slippery. The humidity was tough to cope with at times.

"There were moments when I asked myself why I was doing this. But then I knew – I'm doing it to raise money for The Meningitis Trust. It's worth it, I told myself."