A BABY is safe at home with her family this week after nearly losing her life to meningococcal meningitis.

Little Ruby Ind, who is just six months old, fell ill at home just over a month ago.

"I noticed that something was wrong with Ruby on the evening of Tuesday, June 24," said her mother, Joanne Taylor.

"She had flu-like symptoms and appeared to have conjunctivitis. I took her to the doctors who gave her antibiotics and Calpol to help keep her temperature down.

"But Ruby never really improved and by the Thursday night she was really ill. She had a rash, her temperature was 41.3 degrees and her Fontanelle – the little bump on the front of her head – was bulging out.

"We rushed her to Frenchay outpatients but within five minutes she was diagnosed as having meningitis and transferred to Bristol Children’s Hospital for treatment. My partner Aaron and I were frantic."

But difficult times were yet to come for the Berkeley couple.

"We were allowed to bring her home the following Wednesday, but then on Friday teatime she had a focal seizure," added Joanne.

"She was rushed back to BCH by ambulance where she had a brain scan.

"It turned out there was a pocket of fluid which was pushing into her brain."

Joanne believes she would have lost her daughter if she had not taken her to hospital on the Thursday.

"Ruby has been through a lot – it’s hard to imagine what she’s been through – but she’s well on the way to recovery now.

"My advice to other parents who might be worried is to always get it checked out.

"We nearly didn’t take her to the hospital that Thursday and if we hadn’t, we would have lost her. It only takes five minutes for peace of mind."

Adrian Robson, of the Thornbury-based Meningitis Research Foundation, said: "Meningitis Research Foundation is delighted that Ruby is recovering well from meningitis. Meningitis and septicaemia are dangerous diseases that can kill in hours.

"Half of the 3,500 cases in the UK every year are in the under five-year-olds."

Anyone with any concerns about meningitis or who would like a free symptoms pack can call the Foundation's Freefone 24 hour helpline on 080 8800 3344 or log on to www.meningitis.org.