Poke Practice

TINY Chloe Lawrence survived against all odds to beat deadly meningitis . . . thanks to her parents PRODDING her back to life.

Mum Stacey Larkin and partner Carl Lawrence kept a 24-hour vigil by Chloe's bedside, -giving the critically-ill mite a gentle NUDGE to kick-start her body every time the illness stopped her breathing.

For 10 DAYS they prodded and poked her back to life nearly 100 TIMES until she made a full recovery. Then barely a month old she was one of the youngest babies to have beaten the brain bug.

Stacey, 22, hugging her beautiful baby girl said: "She must be the luckiest baby in the world to have survived like this.

"She could have died dozens of times on us. But she didn't-thanks to a little prod each time."

The drama began after Chloe was born four weeks premature at the Royal Albert and Edward Infirmary in Wigan, Lancs, in May.

Weighing in a 5lb 7oz she was allowed home after a week-only to fall ill two weeks later.

Back at the hospital Stacey and enforcement officer Carl, 24, were given the devastating news-Chloe had the brain bug meningitis.

With her condition deteriorating rapidly she was transferred to intensive care . . . where she stopped breathing.

Stacey said: "Because she was so poorly her body was too weak, and her lungs kept 'forgetting' to work." Medics rigged up a special monitor to her cot which sounded an alarm every time her breathing stopped.

Then the couple would gently massage and prod Chloe's little body in a technique called "stimulation", used to kick-start breathing in premature babies.

Carl said: "I did the night shift and Stacey did days, so we covered 24 hours. "We knew it was touch and go whether Chloe would survive or not, and we were determined to do everything we could to keep her alive."

Stacey added: "We were terrified when the monitor went off, in case she didn't start breathing again.

"Luckily after we prodded her each time, her little chest would start to go up and down again. It was a living nightmare -Carl and I just watched her like hawks."

At first they had to spring into action around 10 TIMES a day.

But, with the help of antibiotics, Chloe gradually won her battle with the bug and over the next 10 days her breathing returned to normal.

A few days later Chloe was back home-but with a warning from doctors that the menginitis was likely to have left problems with her sight or hearing, and possible brain damage.

Now six months old, she is confounding the medics again. Unbelievably, despite her ordeal, tests have revealed nothing untoward.

Stacey added: "Everything's fine. The doctors are baffled as to why she's made such a remarkable recovery-she really is our little miracle."

FOR more info go to www.meningitis-trust.org or call 0800 028 1828

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