WHEN doctors turned off James Smart’s life-support machine after he had spent ten days in a coma, his mother believed that her two-year-old son could not survive.

But, against all odds, James started to breathe on his own and is on his way to a full recovery. Yesterday he played at home in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, as his mother, Ellie Craven, 21, told how he came back from the brink of death.

James had shown no sign of life after contracting pneumococcal meningitis. Doctors feared that if he survived he would be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life. But, two months after being released from hospital, he continues to amaze medical staff.

James began to feel unwell in February and his mother took him to the doctor. Despite having a high temperature, freezing hands and a sore throat, all that was suspected was a throat infection.

Less than 24 hours later meningitis was diagnosed and the boy went into a coma. Ms Craven was in labour with her second child when James was rushed to hospital.

He was placed on a life- support machine as medical staff drained fluid from his brain. After ten days, with no sign of progress, he was taken off it. “Nobody could believe it when he started breathing,” Ms Craven said.

James suffered a small amount of brain damage, but after nine weeks in hospital, where he underwent intensive physiotherapy and speech therapy, he returned home.

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