A MUM has spoken of her 'worst nightmare' watching her new baby girl lying in a hospital bed for 10 weeks after she was struck down by meningitis.

Edith-Rose Khan, from Rishton, was born on January 6 but she was losing weight and not eating, so her family took her to Royal Blackburn Hospital on January 29.

Mum Georgina Sheridan said her daughter had no complications during the birth and at first they thought she may have a milk intolerance as that was the only problem.

She said: “We took her up to A&E as we were worried about her and they were great as they were in contact with Manchester Children’s Hospital to try to find out what was wrong.

“She had no other symptoms of anything especially but after doing a lumbar puncture they found she had meningitis and fluid on the brain.

“They put in a temporary drain but they also found she had the tiniest bug in her blood cultures, but they have been treating it.

“She has had two operations in the past week and they found she had hydrocephalus and they had to give her some shunt tubes for the fluid on the brain to drain.

“We are hoping to be home in a few weeks but we don’t know if there is any long-term damage. She has some brain damage but until she starts developing we will not know how it will affect her.

“She is feeding OK and is responsive to us so that is great.

"We don’t know about her being able to talk or walk and there are a wide range of things that could be wrong.

“She is quite a lucky girl considering what she has been through and that is thanks to our great health visitor Anne-Marie who told us to go to hospital as she was losing weight.”

Teaching assistant Georgina added that it has been a tough time for the family with coronavirus restrictions meaning that only her and Edith’s dad Daniel Khan have been able to spend time with her.

But that has not stopped relatives giving support.

The 26-year-old mum said: “We are staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Manchester and the number of of people who can stay is reduced.

“My cousin Nathan, who is 11, asked how he can help and raise money for Edith so the distance between where we live and the hospital is 37 miles so he said he would run that distance for the Ronald McDonald charity. That was his way of helping other parents to stay with the kids.

“He has raised over £700 and has done really well for someone so young and we often hear about young people and what they have done wrong but he has done something nice. My other cousins Lacie and Lexie Sheridan have done a raffle too.”

Georgina said the care Edith had received was brilliant. She said: “They are amazing at Blackburn and Manchester and were excellent asking other people for opinions on what was wrong.

“It has been an awful time, our worst nightmare, and I would not wish it on anybody.”

Fundraising is being done with Pippa’s Presents for the family. Email nataliejashworth@hotmail.co.uk if you want to help.