Clitheroe mum's message to staff at Alder Hey Children's Hospital and Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital after six-year-old son given 5% chance of surviving Strep A

Jake Bond, of Clitheroe, has been left wheel-chair bound and requiring surgery after battling the condition.

The six-year-old was rushed to Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital in December after he began vomiting and had a high temperature.

His mum, Victoria, said: “He was not meant to survive. Machine's took over Jake's body.

"[But] my little fighter kept on fighting.”

After developing initial symptoms of Strep A, he "deteriorated quickly”, developing a rash and sore throat, and was blue-lighted to Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool.

“One minute he was sat up chatting to the nurses, telling them all he didn't have time to be ill [because] he had a school nativity to perform, [then] very quickly, Jake was put on a ventilator suffering a respiratory arrest.”

With his heart being weak, he was put on an ECMO, dialysis and drains, to pump and oxygenate his blood and allow his heart and lungs to rest.

Jake spent two weeks in a paediatric intensive care unit fighting for his life, then two weeks and five days on a renal ward.“The medics have deemed his recovery as truly remarkable as this was not expected at all. [He had a] 5% chance of survival.“Jake's now home and still recovering. His right leg has took the hit of Strep A and [he is] awaiting further surgery.”Victoria praised the “excellent medics” who took care of Jake, adding: “Thank you to Blackburn Hospital, North West Transport Team and Alder Hey for saving my boy’s life.”