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FROM LEFT: Richard, Oliver, Joanne and Ellie Hodgson

WATCHING her son take part in a sponsored walk was a sight Joanne Hodgson thought she would never see after he was struck down by a deadly disease when he was just a year old.

Oliver, now almost two, developed meningococcal septicaemia last September and had some of his toes amputated.

For a period, doctors could not reassure his terrified parents that he would pull through at all.

Now he has taken part in a "toddle waddle" in aid of research into the disease, along with all his little pals at Just Learning Nursery, in The Crescent, Aldermaston Road, Basingstoke.

Mrs Hodgson, 33, said she initially thought Oliver was teething when he was off-colour one evening.

She said: "When I first saw spots on Oliver's face, I thought he had chicken pox. However, when I saw a rash on his body I did the glass test to see if it would fade under pressure. When I saw it didn't, I knew it could be meningitis."

Mrs Hodgson, a pharmacy technician at Basingstoke hospital, and her husband Richard then called for an ambulance.

Oliver was rushed to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester. To fight off the disease, he had to spend more than two weeks in intensive and high-dependency care at Southampton General Hospital.

Oliver's family, who live in Byng Close, Andover, and everyone from his nursery were given antibiotics to protect them from the disease.

Mrs Hodgson said: "The doctors couldn't say whether he would be okay. It was every parent's worst nightmare."

The disease affected Oliver's circulation and, despite the doctors' efforts, he had to have the toes on his left foot amputated.

He also lost the tips of his index and middle fingers on his right hand, and sustained damage to both his thumbs.

Oliver still has regular checks, and is due to have an operation to improve his fingers.

Mrs Hodgson, who also has a daughter Ellie, five, said: "We are so proud of Oliver, as you would never guess what he's been through. He now uses a crayon in his right hand, kicks a football and runs around - he's just like any normal boy.

"We have been taking pictures regularly so that when Oliver is older we can explain what happened. I'm sure he will have questions, and be asked questions by other children."

Sonia Pennington, manager of Just Learning Nursery, said: "When Oliver was in hospital, I used to go down and visit him. We even made him a DVD so he could see all of his friends from nursery.

"There is a real sense of community here and everyone was so shocked by what happened.

"We're hoping to raise more than £1,500 from the sponsored walk for Meningitis Research and, through a link with one of our parents, Barclays is matching our sponsorship pound for pound, which is great."

Mrs Hodgson said the whole family was touched that the nursery was raising money for Meningitis Research.

"It is a really personal charity to us now. We must thank Sonia," she said.

Meningitis factfile

• Meningitis is an infection of the meninges - the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord
• There are approximately 3,500 to 4,000 reported cases per year in the UK
• The disease can be caused by bacteria or viruses. There are five main bacterial strains - A, B, C, W135 and Y
• The B strain is the leading cause of death in British children under the age of four. There is no vaccine
• A recent study by the Meningitis Research Foundation has found that the key early warning signs of meningitis in children often include cold hands and feet, leg pains, and pale and blotchy skin
• Other symptoms include stiff neck, headache, fever or vomiting
• A glass pressed against a skin rash can be used as a quick way to test for possible septicaemia. If the rash doesn't fade, get medical advice immediately

9:37am Friday 16th May 2008

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