A mum whose three-year-old son had to have both legs amputated after developing sepsis said she initially thought he was ill with a bug.
Gemma Reckless said son William first started to vomit and had a temperature.
The 29-year-old told Nottinghamshire Live that when he developed a rash she thought it might be scarlet fever.
But it was not until he was taken to hospital on January 13 that the family found out what was wrong.
Gemma said: "They obviously realised at that point that he'd got sepsis. And his body had gone into septic shock.
"They said 'we're going to have to put him into an induced coma so his body can rest'."
William was transferred to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham and his family were told he might not have long to live.
Gemma, a police officer on leave, said "it's just blown our world apart".
"You just can't comprehend how you've got from thinking he's at home poorly with a bug to the next minute he's in a coma and being told his heart's stopped, it feels like it's not real," she said.
"I just kept saying to my husband 'please somebody wake me up, this is a nightmare'. It was just horrific. And he spent eight days in a coma.
"The first two-three days really we were constantly told that he wasn't expected to survive and that he was too poorly.
"We kept being told to prepare ourselves. And I kept saying 'how do you prepare for that? I can't prepare for that'.
"I just kept saying 'please stop coming and talking to me, just go and make him better'.
"And then every day obviously we were asking and it was about the eighth day when I said something about 'if he lives' and they said 'we think he will'."
William's health began to improve but he required amputations.
"They've amputated both legs, one through the knee and one below the knee," Gemma said.
"And every finger apart from his right thumb as well.
"But we couldn't believe how well he was so soon after his surgery.
"He had to go through that and, by the Wednesday, he was eating, smiling and playing again."
Gemma said William had also suffered from kidney failure and a collapsed lung.
"His lung's working, his kidneys have recovered, he's obviously recovering from brain injuries," she said.
"It's just obviously rehabilitation, getting him mobile and working towards getting him some prosthetics and getting him back up and about again."
His family said it was important to raise awareness of sepsis, a potentially life-threatening condition caused by the body's response to an infection.
"If your child's unwell and you think 'this is a bit more than a bug' push for him to be checked," said Gemma.
"Could it be sepsis? Because it's time-critical, basically."
Helena Fearis, senior deputy sister at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “William is an incredibly brave little boy and we wish him well in his recovery. We would also like to send our warmest wishes to his family.
“Sepsis happens when the immune system overacts to an infection and starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs. It is not always easy to spot and is sometimes called septicaemia or blood poisoning.
"Symptoms of sepsis can be vague and they can be like symptoms of other conditions, including flu or a chest infection.”
Dr David Selwyn, executive medical director at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It’s fantastic news to hear that William is doing well after such life-changing circumstances and I’m really pleased to hear that William’s family have high praises for staff at Sherwood and Queen’s Medical Centre. We wish him all the best in his recovery.”
Several fundraising pages have also been set up to support the family.
One of those has been launched by close friends of Gemma, Bridget Dallison, 29, a technical sales manager, of Killamarsh, on the Derbyshire and Yorkshire border, and teaching assistant Cara Newton.
Miss Dallison said: "Having witnessed one of our best friends go through every parent's worst nightmare, we wanted to try and help in whatever way we could.
"We couldn’t physically make William better but we wanted to take any pressure we could off the family for his rehabilitation and recovery.
"We set up the fund with an original target of £5,000, and we are so grateful to those who have donated, shared and supported William's cause. Complete strangers have been touched by William's story and wanted to help."
Fundaising events, including sky dives and golf tournaments, are in the pipeline.
Money can be donated by clicking here .
