Amber Davies's story

It was the 1st July 2005; I woke up and went over to my baby girl Amber who was eight months old. Amber was just laying there staring blankly, she had difficulty breathing, her lips were blue, she was very pale and all four of her limbs were cold. I called her but she just laid there staring at the ceiling. 

When I picked Amber up I noticed a very small bruise on her arm but there was no other rash anywhere on her body. I had the strongest feeling it was meningitis, and we called 999.

Amber was taken to a local hospital. On the journey there i watched my baby drift into a coma and watched the rash appearing all over her small body. All four limbs started to turn black - it was the worst thing I have ever had to see.

They had to take Amber to another hospital in Cardiff as they did not the right medical things she needed to keep her alive. They told me and my husband she had less than 24 hours left to live, she was on a life support machine in a coma in intensive care, fighting for her life.

Amber had a cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated. Doctors told us there was no hope of Amber surviving, and if she did she would be brain damaged, deaf, and lose all four limbs, but that did not matter to me, I loved her just the same. 

Amber came out of her coma and fought her way back to life; doctors were shocked she pulled through - they told us it was a miracle. 

Amber was transferred to another hospital where she had a nine-hour amputation. We thought she would lose all four limbs, and when she came out of theatre I feared the worst. Amber lost her right leg, all her left fingers and all left toes. We were in hospital for four months. 

Now Amber is doing really well. She has an artificial leg and she runs on it, she loves horseriding, swimming, kickboxing, and many more. Amber is not brain damaged or deaf; she is perfect just like a normal child of her age. We are so proud of her no words can explain it. I still hurt knowing what my baby has been through, I wish it was me, but I have to be strong for her.