‘My son gave away his antimalarial tablets – then died from the disease himself’

When Jo Yirrell’s 20-year-old son Harry went on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Ghana to help in a school, she never could have expected it would lead to his death.

The semi-professional rugby player unknowingly contracted the deadliest strain of malaria while on his travels and spent 10 days fighting for his life – but he passed away in July 2005.

Now, mum-of-four Ms Yirrell is working alongside charity Malaria No More UK, which aims to eradicate malaria entirely and has launched a campaign alongside former England footballer David Beckham.

This is her story.

I am supporting the fight against malaria because nearly 14 years ago – how can it be so long? – my beautiful 20-year-old son, Harry, died from malaria following his travels in Ghana.

It will be 14 years in July since my world changed forever when Harry passed away.

He had been to Ghana to help in a school.

Harry took antimalarial tablets with him on his trip but was unaware of the danger he was in.

He made a mistake that cost him his life – he gave his tablets away to the children he worked with.

There is nothing – no words, nothing – that can describe losing a child. Those feelings are hard to express and only others in that position know what it is like.

But life has to move forward. You never get over the loss of a child – you just learn to manage.

One of the ways that helped me was joining the fight against malaria, which I have been part of for over a decade.

Our world faces so many challenges at the moment that it can be overwhelming, but there are some things we can conquer – like malaria.

Malaria No More UK was launched 10 years ago and I visited 10 Downing Street with Denise Lewis and Malaria No More UK’s leadership council, David Beckham and Andy Murray.

A mosquito net was hung over the front door ahead of our meeting with then-prime minister Gordon Brown. What a day, what a decade for me personally.

I have met many amazing people and travelled to places and spoken to people who I would never have had contact with in my normal life.

Highlights include a trip to the White House, my first visit to Africa for a BBC documentary and remarkably I inspired a lead character in Richard Curtis’ TV film Mary and Martha.

Those amazing positive things have happened, but they are bittersweet.

Fantastic strides have been made in the fight against the disease over the last 10 years and we have seen deaths come down – but this progress has stalled in some of the worst affected African countries.

We’re asking everyone to take a minute of their time to sign up to the world’s first voice-signed petition to end malaria, which has just been launched by David Beckham.

Now is the time to show world leaders ahead of their funding discussions in October, that we want malaria to be no more.

My voice will be there – for Harry, for mothers and fathers everywhere like me, for children, for everyone. Please join me.

You can find the petition here.

(c) Sky News 2019: ‘My son gave away his antimalarial tablets – then died from the disease himself’