A MUM has praised her “little fighter” who, despite having both legs amputated below the knee, has overcome a life-threatening battle with meningitis.

Seven-month-old Louie Jenkins has finally been able to return to his home in Colne after nine and a half weeks in a specialist hospital.

He also lost all the fingers on his left hand and the tips of the fingers on his right hand.

His parents, Julie, 29, and Warren, 31, said there were fears that he might not survive, but they have now shared their joy at finally having him home from hospital.

They have also pledged to raise funds and spread awareness of the warning signs of the disease.

Julie, a teaching assistant, said: “Louie has been a real little fighter, and we are overjoyed that he has pulled through.

“It was extremely frightening when it was confirmed that he had meningitis. It is something you hear about in the news but never expect your own child to experience.

“We are so lucky that Louie has come through this and has not suffered any brain damage.

“Even though it is upsetting that he has undergone amputations, we are so relieved that our gorgeous little boy is alive and that we now have him back home.”

She said that despite his amputations, Louie remains a very happy baby.

She said: “Although he initially found it difficult not being able to have cuddles because of all the tubes and wires around him, he has been really happy, and it does not seem to have bothered him.”

She said it became apparent during his hospital stay that he would need to undergo amputations.

Julie said: “It became apparent after he started to recover that he would probably need his legs amputated, as the skin had turned dark from his thighs downwards, and his arms had also been affected.

“Although it was difficult for Warren and me to come to terms with at first, the main thing was that we just wanted to be able to take Louie home.

“As time went on, his legs and arms started healing, and the doctors said they would be able to amputate below the knees and would not need to remove his entire left arm. It was the best outcome they could have hoped for.”

Now his parents are determined to raise funds and awareness of the disease.

Louie was allowed home last week after spending nine and a half weeks at Leeds General Infirmary, having been transferred there from Airedale General Hospital in January.

Julie, of Bath Street, Colne, said that initially, it was uncertain whether he would survive.

She said doctors praised her quick reaction in recognising the first warning signs and explained that if she had waited any longer, he might not have survived.

“I had bathed Louie with his sister Francesca as normal, but throughout the night he kept waking up crying and was being sick. I noticed he had a temperature, so I undressed him and gave him some Calpol.

“It was when I undressed him that I noticed two small, red, pinprick marks. I pressed on them, and they did not fade, so I thought something was wrong.

“Within a matter of minutes, he had turned grey and become floppy, so I called for an ambulance.

“As I watched, he went from having just a few marks to having purple discolouration across his legs and arms.

“They took him to Airedale and began treating him for meningitis. It was all a bit of a shock, and it did not really sink in until we received the blood test results confirming that he had meningococcal septicaemia.”

Louie was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary, where he spent two weeks in intensive care before being moved to the children’s surgical ward.

She added: “The doctors said that if I had not checked on him and spotted the rash when I did, Louie might not have survived.

“The first 48 hours were very uncertain, and after that, they gave him a 50 per cent chance of survival, which gradually increased as the days went on.”

She said: “Even though I had heard of meningitis and its warning signs, I never knew what could happen afterwards.

“We want to help raise awareness of the serious long-term effects it can have, including brain damage and amputations.”

Source: https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/