Today's launch of a campaign to cut meningitis and septicaemia deaths in young children has special significance for one North Yorkshire family.

Alison and John Froggatt with their daughter, Zoe, who suffered from meningitis when she was a baby

John and Allison Froggatt, of Upper Poppleton, are backing the Meningitis Research Foundation's Baby Watch campaign because their daughter Zoe almost died from the illness when she was a baby.

John, 43, and Allison, 37, who are both nurses, demanded a second and eventually a third opinion from doctors who would not take their fears seriously when Zoe became listless, started vomiting and developed a rash.

They say parents are in the unique position to pick up on tell-tale changes in behaviour and should always trust their instincts when doctors insist there is nothing wrong.

Allison said: "Zoe was very listless at first and then started vomiting and she had this fixed staring expression.

"Then she got this rash and I was told it was chicken pox."

Allison and John were told to administer Calpol, then a different doctor told them they were being over anxious and eventually they called in a doctor they knew they could trust and had to rush Zoe to hospital where she was described as seriously ill.

She had a lumber puncture and was diagnosed with meningitis and hooked up to a drip for ten days.

"I thought she was going to die on the way to the hospital," said Allison. "She was semi-conscious and I thought that was it."

Fortunately, Zoe, now ten and a pupil at Upper Poppleton Junior School, made a full recovery.

But her parents are backing the campaign to prevent others going through the trauma of what they had to endure. The campaign aims to ensure that parents know how to spot the disease which can kill in hours and has the highest death rate in children under a year old.

As part of the campaign a vaccination programme will begin in October and November and there is a special helpline for parents on 0808 8003344.

The symptoms to look out for in babies are:

HIGH temperature

VERY sleepy/staring expression/too sleepy to wake up fast or difficult breathing

PIN-PRICK rash marks or purple bruises anywhere on the body

DIARRHOEA, vomiting or refusing to feed

HIGH-PITCHED moaning or crying and irritability when picked up

BLOTCHY skin, getting paler or turning blue

A STIFF body with jerky movements or else floppy and lifeless

COLD hands and feet.

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