Brave Leia Baines gives her mum a big kiss after beating the meningitis bug that almost killed her.

The five-year-old was rushed by ambulance with a police escort to a London hospital after doctors confirmed she was suffering from meningococcal septicaemia.

Now her relieved family have pledged to raise funds for St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, which saved her life.

And mum Tina, who took pictures of her dangerously ill daughter in hospital, said: "I don't want to win the lottery any more. I think we have won it. She is everything to us."

Leia, of Station Avenue, Rayleigh, fell ill while staying with her grandmother in Hawkwell on New Year's Eve.

Her mum, Tina, had spent the evening working in a Chinese takeaway and when the phone rang at her home on the dot of midnight she automatically answered it with "Happy New Year".

Her mother told her Leia had been sick and was asking for her. She and husband, Peter, who also have four sons, brought their daughter home.

She said: "We had all had flu except Leia so we thought it was that or a tummy bug."

In the morning Leia looked hot and as Tina took off her nightdress she noticed what she thought was a heat rash on her body. Then Leia became delirious. On advice from NHS Direct, Tina did the glass test. When the rash disappeared she felt reassured it was not meningitis.

She phoned her GP at his home who told her to bring Leia to surgery when it opened 90 minutes later. He took one look and told her anxious parents to get her into hospital.

By the time they arrived at Southend's Neptune ward, staff were there ready.

Tina said: "She had gone into shock and had started fitting. There were eight people working on her and they were just brilliant."

Leia, who was suffering from meningococcal septicaemia, was transferred with police escort to specialist St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, where doctors warned them that the next 72 hours would be critical.

Even if she pulled through Leia could be left with bone damage, organ damage or might even lose one of her limbs.

She was wired up to a total of 13 machines. Each one had been donated "in loving memory" by bereaved parents or fundraising groups.

Tina, 43, said: "On the third day I got angry. The Millennium Dome and all the fireworks had cost all those millions of pounds yet the hospital had to rely on donations. If Tony Blair had walked in then I would have decked him.

"I had asked one of the doctors what would have happened if they had not had an intensive care bed for Leia and he said they would have had to turn her away."

Her anger helped her cope until finally, doctors agreed she could be weaned off the machines.

When Leia finally came round, she looked at Tina and asked: "I love you mummy. Are you all right?"

Now, although Leia is still very weak, the family is hoping she will make a full recovery from the deadly disease, and is planning to raise their own funds for St Mary's.

That's my girl! Tina Baines gives Leia, five, a kiss

(Left) Leia in hospital

First picture: STEPHEN LLOYD

Head defends stance

Leia's head teacher has defended her decision not to notify other parents of her illness.

Monica Dimmock, of Glebe infants school, Rayleigh, said she took professional advice from South Essex Health Authority's infection control nurse, Janet Bryant.

Leia did not fall ill until New Year's Eve - 14 days after the school had broken up for the holidays - and Mrs Dimmock was advised that, since there was no risk of it having spread to other pupils, sending out letters would only cause panic.

Mrs Dimmock said: "We have strict guidelines as to what to do in cases of meningitis. I took professional advice and there was absolutely no risk to other children."

One mother, who asked not to be named, said the school was wrong to have kept parents in the dark.

She said: "If you are given all the facts you don't panic - it is when you hear rumours. I am not satisfied."

Amelia Cummins, consultant in public health medicine with South Essex Health Authority, said that, given the period between end of term and Leia becoming ill, there was no way her school chums could have been at risk.

She said: "We only contact trace up to seven days. Mrs Dimmock took advice from us."

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