WHEN Alicja Dancy had a high temperature her parents thought it was a sign of teething, but within 24 hours the smiling, happy little girl was dead.

The youngster, who had just started talking and walking, had contracted a form of septicaemia and was left fighting for her life in hospital as her horrified and helpless parents stood by.

Mum and dad Nick Dancy and Anna Purska, of Barrow Gurney, are now urging families to be aware of the signs of septicaemia and meningitis so that others do not suffer the same tragedy they have.

Alicja died of meningococcal septicaemia in Poland on January 28 despite being rushed to hospital in the early hours of the morning.

“She had a slightly raised temperature, not very high at all. As most people would, we thought she was teething as she had been going through a teething stage at that point and they were the only symptoms,” Mr Dancy, 36, said.

“We were woken at 4am and by that time her temperature had rocketed, she was making grunting noises and her fingernails started going blue.

“When we got to the hospital the duty doctor immediately said septicaemia. They pulled up her top at that point and by that stage a rash had come out and Alicja was rushed to intensive care.”

The youngster was treated with antibiotics in an attempt to overcome the disease but about 14 hours after she arrived at the hospital Alicja passed away.

“It had overwhelmed her body and she was put on life support, on a ventilator because she couldn’t breathe,” Mr Dancy, a manager for a fast food restaurant, said.

“They tried everything they could but it had taken her so quickly there was nothing they could do.

“It was just absolutely surreal. The doctors came out and told us there was a 90 per cent chance she would not make it.

“At that point I was doing everything I could in my head to make her better but realised there was nothing I could do.

“You hear about meningitis but never think it is going to happen to you. You don’t even comprehend that will happen.”

Mr Dancy said his daughter was just coming into her own as a person.

“She had just started talking, had conquered walking a couple of months before and was running around”, he said.

“She was genuinely always smiling and never unhappy.”

Having lost their daughter to the meningococcal form of septicaemia Mr Dancy has decided to take part in a skydive for Downend-based charity Meningitis UK and is spreading the word about its Trust Your Instincts campaign.

“I am doing all I can and have found a real focus in Meningitis UK and am doing all I can to raise awareness and funds to find a vaccine,” he said.

“They have a Trust Your Instincts campaign and I want to put out to everybody that if you suspect anything to go to hospital immediately and we are both very involved in trying to put that message out to people.

“It helps to know there are people out there to support you.

“Nothing will take away the pain of what happened. It is no substitute at all, it just makes me feel better to know there is something positive.”

To support Mr Dancy’s fundraising visit www.meningitisuk.tributefunds. com/fund/Alicja+Dancy