FOR A QUARTER of a century Diana Man led a charmed liie. Nothing particularly dreadful happened to test her metal. No major illnesses. No serious accidents. She enjoyed a pony-tilled childhood; spent her teen years collecting Pony Club rosettes and plaudits for her hurdling prowess (she became a national record holder); and. by her early 'ZOs, she was a competent event rider with two horses plus two jobs, one m an otiice and one m a pub, to pay the bills.
Therefore, when she started to feel slightly unwell during a pub shift one Friday and had to leave early to return home to bed, it couldn't possibly be anything serious could it. After all, she was a robust and hearty 25-year-old. By the morning, however, even though she remained conscious, she couldn't even reach for her mobile phone to call for help, and her arms were covered in a small, red pinprick rash — a tell-tale sign of meningitis. As luck
