New meningitis vaccine means other families will not have to suffer like us
The parents of a child who survived meningitis have welcomed news a vaccine to combat meningitis B will be offered to babies in England and Scotland from September.
Julie Tuckley and Dean Brown's four-month-old daughter, Jorgie Brown, also now stands to benefit from the vaccine.
The Walsall couple's son, Tommy Brown, now aged three, was given only a five per cent chance of survival when he contracted meningococcal septicaemia.
Doctors were forced to amputate both his lower legs, his right hand and some of the fingers on his left hand.
He became the face of Meningitis UK and Meningitis Trust's Beat it Now campaign when it launched to lobby the Government to put the life-saving new Meningitis B vaccine, Bexsero, into the childhood immunisation schedule as soon as possible.
The campaign was successful and the Government has announced that the vaccine will be given to babies from September.
Ms Tuckley, of Lister Close, Beechdale, said: "We are delighted. Hopefully other families won't have to suffer what we have suffered."
Tommy became a big brother when his 40-year-old mother gave birth to daughter Jorgie Brown at Manor Hospital on March 5.
But Jorgie, who weighed in at 8lb 4oz when she was born, gave her parents a scare earlier this month after developing a rash.
Ms Tuckley said: "I took her to see a doctor and they sent her to the paediatrics unit. They checked her bloods.
"I was horrified. It's always in the back of my mind that it might be meningitis, but she was ok in the end.
"It must have been a virus.
"She will be able to get the vaccine after they start offering it later this year."
Ms Tuckley, who is a mother-of-five, said Tommy was learning to walk on prosthetic legs but the family have now launched an appeal to raise £20,000 to buy new prosthetics which will help the youngster along in the future.
She said: "Tommy is doing alright. He is now taking some steps on his prosthetic legs but he's facing more surgery on his leg.
"We want to raise money for the best prosthetics money can buy to give Tommy a better future.
"I want him to have the best legs in the world."
To donate to the appeal, visit www.gofundme.com/qpj3as
