A health chief whose son was left fighting for his life as a baby when he contracted meningitis.

Samantha Jones’ baby twins, Leo and Ellie, were just seven weeks old, when Leo contracted meningitis and was left fighting for his life.

Now, because the number of cases of meningitis peaks at this time of year, the chief executive of Epsom, St Helier and Sutton hospitals is hoping her family’s own experience will encourage more to be aware of the warning signs.

She said: “I was just getting them up from their morning nap, when I noticed that Leo was very hot.

“He was absolutely fine an hour before, so I took his temperature, which was very high at 39.5 degrees centigrade. He then started to have a fit.

“I’m trained as a children’s nurse, so I was still quite calm at that point – I knew what I had to do.”

Leo was rushed to the A&E department at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where he was seen by a consultant who suspected meningitis.

Mrs Jones said: “It didn’t cross my mind that it could be anything as serious as meningitis, but as we sat in A&E, that unmistakable rash came up and it all became very real.

“It was at that point that it really began to sink in and Leo was admitted to hospital.

“Leo was critical for 24 hours, and I remember thinking that this could be it, that he could die.

“I asked the doctors if he was going to die, and they said that they had done all that they could. Hearing those words was absolutely horrific – in fact, it was worse than that.

“It is hard to explain just how awful it was. When your whole reason for being is fighting for his life in front of you, well, it’s unimaginable.”

Leo made a good recovery and was discharged from hospital within five days.

However, a spokeswoman said meningitis can have a lasting effect on the development, growth and hearing of children and parents needed to be aware of the signs.