A YOUNGSTER who nearly lost her life after developing meningitis as a baby is finally well enough to play outside with her friends – after undergoing 50 operations, including a double leg amputation.

Amy Wolstenholme, nine, from Blackpool, developed the illness when she was five months old and was left in constant pain and unable to walk after having her left leg removed.

She has spent much of her life in hospital as doctors did everything they could to help.

Although she had a prosthetic leg and a walking frame, Amy struggled to move around and couldn’t join in games with her friends.

So when doctors at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool told Amy’s mum, Jade Wolstenholme, that her right leg was preventing her from growing properly, she agreed to have it amputated too.

That was in May, and Amy has since made a joyful return to school – and is six inches taller.

Single mum Jade, 30, said: “The only thing that really bothered Amy was being shorter than her friends, but with her new legs she is the same height as everybody else.

“Amy is learning to walk and run and looking forward to playing football and climbing trees.

“She is so resilient and tough. Nothing keeps her down – I’m so proud of her.

“It’s fantastic that she has now got the prosthetic legs, which means she can finally play outside with her friends instead of watching from the window.

“She’s been so determined to get mobile, and having the ability to walk around has brought out a real curious side in her. It’s fantastic to see.”

Amy developed meningitis when she was just five months old, with her body becoming severely affected and her skin developing extensive blistering.

Jade, also mum to Connor, 14, and Marcus, three, said: “I walked in to give Amy her morning bottle and when I picked her up, I noticed a purple rash on her cheek.

“She looked pale, and that worried me the most. I thought the rash could just have been chickenpox.

“Then she suddenly became drowsy and her body went limp – she was becoming unresponsive.

“I called an ambulance immediately and prayed that she’d be all right.”

Amy was rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where doctors diagnosed meningococcal septicaemia, a serious form of meningitis.

From there she was transferred to Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool.

Doctors warned Jade that her little girl was critically ill, and she was connected to 16 different machines.

Jade said: “At Alder Hey, we were told that Amy was in a critical condition. Her whole body swelled, and she was covered with a dark purple rash.

“We felt helpless. All we could do was sit by her cot and hope. For five days, Amy remained in intensive care.

“Nobody could say whether she would wake up again. I was heartbroken. We didn’t leave her side once.

“Then the doctors decided to amputate two of Amy’s toes to stop the infection from spreading further through her body. It was the only way to save her.

“As she went into surgery, it felt as though my whole world was hanging in the balance.”

And when she returned, there was more difficult news.

Jade said: “The illness had already progressed. The doctors said they would need to remove her whole foot. Then they decided it would be best to amputate her leg above the knee. She would also lose two of her fingers.

“I felt like I was losing my baby.

“She lost the lower part of her leg and her kneecap.

“Part of her nostril also collapsed, which affected her breathing. Skin had to be taken from behind her ear to rebuild the nostril.

“She had a long series of operations – skin grafts to repair damaged skin, the leg amputation, and the amputation of two fingers on her right hand.”

So the decision to put Amy through another operation this year was not an easy one.

But after learning that her remaining leg was having such a significant impact on her overall health, Jade knew it was the right decision.

And all she has to do is look at her little girl to see the positive difference it has made.

“She is still my beautiful little girl – 50 operations later,” Jade said.

“Having the new leg fitted means she can play outside with her friends and, hopefully one day, run around with all the other children.

“She is a true warrior and always has a smile on her face, no matter what.”

Source: The Sun