A MUM has told how she feels lucky her and her youngest son are alive after contracting sepsis when she was heavily pregnant.

The deadly disease left her body shutting down and her son fighting for his life after he developed meningitis.

Today Jenny Blake has told her story to raise awareness of the symptoms and help save lives as she prepares to tackle the Bournemouth Half Marathon in aid of the Meningitis Research Foundation.

Speaking for Meningitis Awareness Week, the 28-year-old said: “A year ago, meningitis, septicaemia and sepsis were just diseases you heard about on the news or in the paper that other people contracted. I wouldn’t dream of it ever being me or my newborn baby.

“If I can raise awareness by sharing our story, it means that’s one more person who knows something they didn’t about these diseases. It's important for people to know the signs as it can be so subtle - yet severe. When meningitis or septicaemia strikes, it is a race against time.

“Not everyone is as lucky as me and our boy.”

Jenny, of Parkstone, said she went to Poole Maternity Ward for a check-up when she began to feel unwell at 35 weeks pregnant.

However, she was told her temperature was dangerously high and she was seriously ill.

“I was advised I was being classed as a medical emergency and for the baby’s safety and my own, he needed to be delivered immediately.”

Jenny was taken to theatre where her baby was delivered by C-section under general anaesthetic and when the new mum awoke, little Arthur was not there.

She said: “I was told I had sepsis which had caused my body to begin the process of shutting down. Arthur had also contracted sepsis but unfortunately along with that had respiratory failure which was causing him multiple complications.

“It was horrendous. We just rode the emotional wave and took it pretty much hour by hour!

“He was under the care of the amazing Poole NICU where he stayed for seven harrowing days.

“The two of us were transferred to the maternity ward where we could finally be together and prepare to go home but Arthur took a turn for the worse.

“He became lethargic, cold and showed no appetite.”

A lumbar puncture confirmed Arthur had meningitis.

“Just over three and a half weeks later we were finally allowed home with our trooper of a baby. The baby who defied so many obstacles, given up his fight on several occasions and fought battles in just nine days that most people wouldn’t encounter in a life time.

"Since our discharge, Arthur has had several follow up appointments and it's safe to say he really is our hero. We are beyond proud- he amazes us and his consultant a lot! He is a true little fighter and warrior.

“For me to jog, walk, hobble, crawl a half marathon especially as every step brings us closer to fighting meningitis and septicaemia, something that very well nearly broke the Blake family not once but three times.

"People should always trust their gut instinct. It could have been a totally different story for us Blakes."

To support Jenny go to justgiving.com/fundraising/Jenny-Blake6

For more information go to meningitis.org