The tragic and entirely preventable death of a Barnsley woman from rabies has inspired her daughter, a trained nurse, to launch a global mission to eradicate the deadly disease.
A Fatal Scratch on Holiday
In February, Yvonne Ford returned from a holiday in Morocco full of praise for the country. Unbeknown to her, a seemingly minor interaction with a puppy while sitting in the sun would have devastating consequences. Yvonne, 59, had only suffered a scratch, but it was enough to transmit the rabies virus.
For months, she showed no signs of illness. It was not until June that flu-like symptoms began, which rapidly escalated into severe headaches, fever, and a loss of the ability to walk or eat. Her daughter, Robyn Thomson, a nurse, was baffled, as were the doctors. By the time Yvonne was admitted to hospital in Sheffield and diagnosed, it was tragically too late. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.
Yvonne Ford passed away on 11 June. She became only the seventh person to die from rabies in the UK since 2000. Globally, however, the virus claims around 60,000 lives every year.
Turning Grief into Action
Driven by grief and a profound sense of purpose, Robyn vowed to honour her mother's memory. "I need to help," she said, determined to turn her personal tragedy into a force for good. She has committed herself to the ambitious global goal of eliminating human rabies deaths by 2030.
Following Yvonne's death, a consultant at Sheffield Hospital connected Robyn with the charity Mission Rabies. She immediately knew it was what she had to do. Partnering with the organisation, Robyn and her husband, Andrew, dedicated themselves to travelling to countries where rabies is prevalent to vaccinate dogs, the primary source of transmission to humans.
"It's on the other side of the world, people don't care that much," Robyn observed, highlighting the lack of awareness in the UK. "But it affects people somewhere and that's why we're doing this."
Vaccinating Thousands in Cambodia
The couple's first mission took them to Cambodia in October. Their goal was to help immunise 70% of the local dog population, a threshold scientific evidence shows can break the cycle of transmission. The work was intense, conducted door-to-door from dawn until dusk in sweltering heat.
To keep their spirits high, Robyn and Andrew turned it into a friendly competition, seeing who could vaccinate the most dogs each day. Their efforts contributed to a record-breaking achievement for the charity. "We had a target this year that was 10,000 dogs in one day, which we achieved," Robyn said. "It's a record for the most dogs ever immunised in one area."
Luke Gamble, the chief executive of Mission Rabies, praised the couple's dedication. "Both Robyn and Andrew have been an inspiration to all of us. They worked tirelessly," he said. "I'm so incredibly grateful to them for turning their grief into something that helps other people."
Looking ahead, Robyn hopes to travel to Malawi, another rabies hotspot, next year, dependent on fundraising. She aims to make these missions an annual tradition in her mother's memory. "I'd love it to be a thing we do every year," she said. "I want to turn what happened into a positive, and I want to help people like Mum."
