TOGETHER WE CAN SURVIVE ANYTHING

Faced with a devastating diagnosis, Nikki Knight, 38, felt the strain on her family

- HADLEY MIDDLETON

Preparing for take-off, I turned to my husband Ollie, 41, and smiled. Together we watched as our children Sophie, 11, and Toby, six, giggled with delight as our plane climbed higher into the clouds. It was May of this year, and we were finally on the trip to Disneyland Paris we had always dreamt of. The kids had never been on a plane before, and it was the adventure of a lifetime. ‘Will I really get to meet the Avengers, Mum?’ Toby asked, excited. It was hard to believe that only two years earlier, I’d been worried my little boy might not live to see his next birthday. But somehow we’d made it through, and while at times our family felt disconnected, we are now stronger than ever.

FROM JOY TO PAIN

When Toby was born in September 2017, he completed our family. We already had Sophie, then four, and in the first few years after he arrived, life seemed to move at 100 miles an hour as Ollie and I juggled our jobs with caring for the kids. Toby grew up to be such a lively and talkative little boy who loved climbing trees and sharing cuddles.

He had such a strong bond with his big sister, who helped him learn to ride his tricycle. But shortly after Christmas 2021, Toby, then four, suddenly became ill. He was exhausted, feverish, and on New Year’s Eve, he tested positive for COVID-19. When the isolation period had finished, Toby didn’t seem to get any better, and he still had a fever.

Then in early February, I noticed a meningitis-type rash on his thigh. Ollie was at work as a secondary school teacher, so I sent him a photo. ‘This looks worrying,’ I said, explaining how it didn’t fade when I did the glass test. Not willing to take any chances, I took Toby to A&E, while Sophie was still at school.