No arms, no legs...

She’s just like any other toddler

Rocking back and forth, lullabies... I tried everything to get HarmonieRose to sleep. She just cried. She’d not been herself for a few days. When she was finally dozing off, she started gasping for air. ‘Something’s not right,’ I told my partner Ross Allen, 24. ‘Let’s go to A&E,’ he replied. We were told she was likely battling a viral infection. Sent home, HarmonieRose, then 11 months, was exhausted and dozed off. Meanwhile, I couldn’t shake the feeling it was more serious. Next morning, in September 2014, Harmonie-rose refused her bottle, so I made her some porridge. But as she sat in her high chair, her whole body suddenly started to shake. Her eyes rolled backwards and she barely seemed conscious. We dashed back to hospital. On the way, Harmonie-rose was still trembling and she threw up everywhere.

At hospital, the doctor gave her Calpol. Within an hour, her temperature dropped – so we were sent home again.

But, soon after, she became limp and floppy.

Back at the Children’s Ward, Harmonie-rose’s heart rate and temperature were sky high.

A doctor thought she might have a urinary infection, so we were given a pot to collect a urine sample.

But Harmonie-rose was so weak she fell asleep.

An hour on, she woke up struggling to breathe before being violently sick again.

As I cleaned her up, I noticed a tiny blue spot on the end of her nose. Then I saw there were also spots on her torso.

The room was suddenly full of medics.

‘What if it’s meningitis?’ I cried.

Pretty soon, almost all of Harmonie-rose’s tiny body had turned a blackish blue.

She was given antibiotics and hooked up to a drip. Meantime, her blood test came back and confirmed our worst fears. She had the deadly meningococcal group B strain of meningitis.

Doctors put her into an induced coma and fought to save her.

When I was finally allowed to see her, her whole body was lifeless and purple, and there was blood inside her mouth.

She had just a 10 per cent chance of survival.

I was completely unprepared for the idea she might not make it. How could my funny, feisty

Everyone who meets my little girl is blown away!

little girl be taken from me?

As Harmonie-rose was baptised, I held her hand and prayed for a miracle.

By then, her rash had turned black and her body was covered in blisters.

Maybe I really was going to lose her...

Then, something incredible happened. Her sedation and ventilation was slowly reduced to see how she’d react – and to everyone’s amazement, she started to respond!

‘She’s going to survive, I know it,’ I sobbed.

Harmonie-rose spent the next month in Intensive Care. Still poorly, but fighting back.

However, we were told she’d never be the same.

She needed all four limbs amputated, as well as the tip of her nose.

My heart shattered, but I knew it was her only chance.

By the time she turned 1, in November 2014, HarmonieRose had no arms or legs.

But she was alive.

In December 2014, we finally took her home.

I felt so scared. I’d no idea how she’d cope. But I needn’t have worried. She quickly began to prove how strong and determined she was. She learned to bum shuffle around, and adapted to not having hands.

Now 3, everyone who meets Harmonie-rose is blown away by how capable she is. She doesn’t let her disability stand in the way of anything.

The next big goal is for her to walk on prosthetic legs.

I’d love to see my girl running around with other kids.

But I know my hilarious, determined, talented daughter will be fine.

She’s my inspiration. I’m so proud to be her mum.