A MOTHER whose ‘world came crashing down’ when her son was diagnosed with meningitis is raising money for the hospital that cared for him.

Caroline Mayor’s son, Thomas, was just 11-months-old when he contracted the potentially killer virus.

The 34-year-old childminder from Oak Street, in Great Harwood, said: “He was so tiny and so helpless, with so many tubes and machines going in and out of his tiny little body. He even had a machine breathing for him.

“I felt so helpless and useless. As a mum all I wanted to do was make him better, take it all away, and even swap places with him if I could.

“When we asked if he was going to be okay, they couldn’t say yes. When I asked if he was going to die, they said, ‘we are doing everything we can’.

“These words still haunt me now.”

Thomas recovered, and is now a healthy 13-year-old studying at Accrington Academy.

Caroline has raised money for the hospital that cared for Thomas, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, in Liverpool, in the past, and has thought up a unique way of raising more.

She said: “I have wanted to do something to give back a little ever since we walked away from Alder Hey, but just after it happened I couldn’t even think about what had happened, or talk about it.

“I also wanted to do something that was different and a little unique. Finally I have found the perfect challenge to raise money for Alder Hey.”

Caroline, who also has another son, six-year-old Alfie, will repeatedly climb a 10ft pole at DFA Studios, Great Harwood for two hours on Saturday afternoon (9).

She said: “I will climb for a solid five minutes, then stretch and walk to bring my heart rate back down for five minutes. Then I will climb again, and so on.

“I am hoping to climb at the very least 150 times, but I will be aiming to smash 200 if I can.

“When I started training, I did an hour’s climbing, five minutes on and five off, and I only managed 20. So from that to 200, you can see that I have worked hard and I am determined to reach my goal.”

Nadine Blacow, from the studio, said: “Caroline will be climbing the pole as many times as she can between around 2.15pm and 4.15pm.

“People can donate money in boxes that are spread around certain gyms in the town, or here at the studio.”

Money can also be donated online by visiting www.justgiving.com/caroline-mayor.