This is why Doncaster's Mansion House was lit up in red this weekend
If you spotted that Doncaster's Mansion House was lit up in red this weekend, here is the reason why.
Doncaster Council chose to light up the iconic building to mark World Encephalitis Day, raising awareness for those affected by the condition.
Those affected included the council’s very own Chief Executive Damian Allen, who was treated for viral meningo-encephalitis – an infection causing swelling of the brain - in 2023.
The CEO of Doncaster Council gave a speech to councillors last year, 12 months after he began displaying signs of a brain infection which led to his hospitalisation.
Mr Allen discussed his hospitalisation as well as his future with the authority, sharing that he originally planned to retire after the illness.
Recalling the events, he told councillors: “In the first part of the AGM, I mistakenly handed the flowers intended for the retiring Deputy Mayor’s Consort, to the incoming Deputy Mayor. Everyone laughed, well you would, it was genuinely funny.
“At the time, I was experiencing face-blindness, a confusion caused by the increased swelling and pressure in my brain. Later during theswapping of the robes, I displayed manic behaviour.
“In part two of the AGM, I displayed aphasia – speech and language problems, where what I thought, is not what I actually said. By the Monday, I was displaying signs of psychosis and could barely speak, and was rushed into hospital.
“So a year on, I want to sincerely thank Ros, the Council and Elected Members for their continued support over my initial recovery periodbefore returning to work full-time last September.”
Find out more https://www.encephalitis.info/world-encephalitis-day/