SAVES

JORDON

Mum spots meningitis

Tragic memory saves Jordon

A MOTHER used tragic memories of her sister's death to help save the life of her son when he contracted meningitis.

Jackie Rainford leapt to the aid of nine-year-old Jordon Rainford and took him straight to hospital after he became unwell at home. And the vigilance prompted by

the death of her sister from the disease last December ensured he received urgent medical help.

Doctors discovered a tiny red spot - a tell-tale sign of the deadly virus - when they examined his back.

Jackie, 30, of Rossendale Road, Burnley, said her mum, Mary Brennan, who lives in Wigan, backed up her fears over the phone.

Her sister Julie Palmer, 32, died after collapsing in her mum's pub, The Black Bull, in Scholes, near Wigan, last December.

Jordon had complained of headache, tummy ache and an intolerance of light and at 6am on Friday, August 6, was rushed to Burnley General Hospital.

He spent three days there but is now fully recovered and ready to return to St Peter's Primary School, in Burnley.

Jackie, who lives with her husband Sean, 40, said: "His dad thought I was overreacting because Jordon had been playing football the night before and doing sit-ups. He thought the tummy aches were because of that.

"We were so lucky we decided to take him to hospital because as soon as we got there the doctors found a tiny red spot on his back.

"These later developed to his arms and tummy. He was given powerful antibiotics by an experienced doctor and, thank the Lord, he came through it.

"If it wasn't for Julie's tragedy, there is no way I would have been able to detect the signs and who knows what could have happened."

She added: "Julie must have been watching down on us. Jordon is a very lucky young boy and he said after he had recovered that it should have been him that was taken from us as his aunty had three children to take care of."

Mary, 53, added: "The condition is not in any way hereditary. The doctors said the chance of it striking twice in the same family are extremely rare.

"We want to raise people's awareness of the disease and highlight how difficult it can be to detect."

Mary is now raising money for the meningitis charity.