A DETERMINED mother who lost her son to meningitis and septicaemia has launched a personal mission to prevent other parents going through the same anguish.

When Carole Dewett's 20-year-old son Darren died she was devastated. But six years on, she is now able to speak of the loss and has urged parents to heed a national campaign by the Meningitis Research Foundation that raises awareness of the killer diseases.

Darren, of Belfield Road, Accrington, was a weight-lifter who had attempted a world record for repetitive lifts two months before he passed away. But it only took eight-and-a-half hours after first showing symptoms of the deadly Group C meningitis and the related blood poisoning disease septicaemia for him to die.

Although his death could be preventable now - a vaccine for Group C meningitis came out in 1999 - there is none for the other strains of the disease.

Mrs Dewett, of William Street, Accrington, said she initially thought he had flu and sent him to bed. But after only two hours she knew there was something wrong and rang the doctor who called for an ambulance.

"It is one of the worst things that can happen to a mother," she said. "In a matter of hours in the hospital his tongue had turned black and I knew he was dying.

"Darren was an extremely fit and strong lad who used to weight train. If it can happen to him it can happen to anybody."

She added: "Darren was such a lovely lad. Even now I find it difficult to talk about it." The Meningitis Research Foundation is a national charity that gives more than £5million to 36 research projects in the UK and abroad.

In its campaign, launched last month, it has directly targeted university students, more than 10,000 companies, GPs and local newspapers and television to get their message across.

Julia Warren, of the charity, said: "Meningitis is a word that strikes fear into most people. It often generates considerable anxiety, even though the disease is relatively uncommon. While the introduction of a new vaccine has saved lives, there are still many other forms of the disease that are not vaccine preventable. In the absence of effective vaccines, knowing the signs and symptoms of these diseases remains crucial."

Meningitis Research Foundation has a free helpline - 080 8800 3344 - that is operated by trained staff and nurses 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.