WHEN Chris Copeman’s three-month-old son Harry fell ill, doctors thought it was just a virus.

But two days later, Chris was maintaining a bedside vigil as Harry battled the Pneumococcal Meningitis that threatened to take his life.

Harry is now a healthy six-year-old and father-of-two Chris, from March, is gearing up to cycle from London to Paris to raise money for the Meningitis Research Foundation.

Chris said: “I remember getting home from work and my wife saying that Harry wasn’t very well. We took him to the doctors and they thought it was a virus.

“I went to work the next day and got a phone call from my wife saying she couldn’t wake Harry up at all.

“Luckily we managed to get him to hospital just before it started to affect his brain. He had a week in intensive care and then two weeks in hospital fighting the disease.”

Chris begins his 300-mile charity cycle to Paris on Sunday, alongside eight work colleagues. He has already raised more than �400 for the foundation.

“We got Harry to hospital just in time,” he said.

“The first things you read about meningitis are people losing limbs and worse, but we were very fortunate with Harry.

“We don’t see any side effects, if anything he’s got too much energy!”

Chris, who has also done the Great North Run to raise money for the foundation, will cycle about 55 miles a day in the marathon ride. To sponsor him visit: www.justgiving.com/Chris-Copeman