THE mother of a four-year-old who lost a leg after contracting a deadly virus, is battling to find a bigger house for her daughter's return from hospital.

Danielle Skilbeck was a happy little girl running around and playing games until three weeks ago when she was struck down by meningitis.

Now Danielle is in intensive care at Leeds General Infirmary, where she had the bottom half of her right leg amputated. She also faces the possibility of losing part of her left leg.

Doctors fear that she may never be able to feel her fingertips again after contracting meningococcal septicaemia.

Danielle's mum, Lindsay Pollard lives with Danielle and her 18-month-old sister, Tia in Hollin Gate, Otley, but will soon be selling up and looking for somewhere else to live.

Leeds City Council has offered Lindsay, who is expecting a third child in March, a two-bedroom home in the area but she has asked for a three-bedroom house to care for Danielle when she comes home.

"We are living in my ex-partner's home at the moment, which he is selling so we need to find somewhere to live soon," said the 20-year-old.

"I have only been offered a two-bedroom house by the Council and I need a three-bedroom one."

She said the hospital would not let Danielle go home until she had found somewhere suitable to live.

"She will need her own room for all the

specialised equipment," she added.

Lindsay said the last three weeks had been a blur for her, and that she had spent every day by her daughter's bedside in hospital.

The first Lindsay knew that Danielle was ill, was when she saw a rash on her arms, tummy and face.

Immediately she ran a glass over the rash and when it didn't disappear, she feared the worst and rang her doctor.

"She had a headache the day before and I thought it was due to the warm weather," said Lindsay. "The next day she had a rash and I got a glass and rubbed it over her and it didn't disappear. My friend drove me to Westgate surgery and the doctor gave her a shot of antibiotics and they rang an ambulance immediately and she was taken to intensive care.

"The rash was then covering her body and she was drifting in and out of consciousness. She bloated to three times her size due to the fluid they put into her.

"On Sunday they amputated the bottom of her right leg and there is a good chance they will have to do the same to her other leg.

"They say she will make it.

"Danielle doesn't know what is going on at the moment, she is only young, but she will know what she had and I'm not sure how she will understand what has happened.

" I'm not sure how we will cope when we get her home, but the hospital has been very supportive.

"If it wasn't for my fiance Chris, my parents and my friends being so supportive I don't what I would have done, they have been amazing. I think the doctors saved her life by giving her the antibiotics."

She added that doctors plan to keep Danielle in hospital for about two months.

"Moving into the two-bedroom house would mean waiting two years for social services to build an extension onto it. By that time she will have prosthetic legs so she won't need as much space then.

Now she is appealing for help to equip the new home.

"If any company or organisation in Otley could help me decorate it with a carpet for instance and bathroom things it would be great.

"Any help what so ever would be welcomed I have to think of things she will need, such as carpets for her to get around and do exercises on.

"We may have to convert a downstairs room for her and put a shower downstairs. Everything will have to be lowered for her and disabled things fitted to the house."

The Council has vowed to continue searching for a suitable three-bedroom home, so Danielle will be able to have her own room on her return from hospital.

A spokesman for Leeds City Council said: "We have every sympathy for Ms Pollard and her family and we are doing all we can to help them.

"We have only just been told about Danielle's needs, and we are trying to find them a suitable three bedroom house in Otley.

"In the meantime, we have offered Ms Pollard a two-bedroom house with a stairlift, an offer Ms Pollard has refused.

"We understand Danielle is likely to be in hospital for some time, and we will continue to look for a three-bedroom house so that when Danielle is discharged she will have more suitable accommodation."

Anyone who can help Lindsay to find a suitable home and prepare it for when Danielle is discharged can contact her on 07904497679.