Minus all meningitis thoughts. The flu symptoms were strong. Headache, burning fever/sore throat. So what does any natural mother do when their offspring takes ill? They smother him or her with a lot of TLC and would walk to the ends of the earth just to take away the pain and suffering.

Despite those motherly rituals mentioned above still no change in my nine year old son's condition. Meningitis still distant in my thoughts.

Lemonade was poured out in pints to quench his thirst and a saturated flannel to wring out every minute to wipe his brow. I prayed more times to God than that of any pope for my son to pull out of this other world he had elapsed into.

A mother's love is more of a cure than any cough medicines pills or tablets, so I thought... Humming his favourite tunes as I held him up agains't my chest rocking him back and too. Not even his favourite videos could pull him out of this alien world that he now belonged to

Was a mother's love? Slowly killing her little boy.

Every mother's worst nightmare was to befall on me with the inevitable happening. Purple bruises appearing on his chest followed by the loss of his voice.

Struggling to dial 999. Please God if you're up there hear my prayers, let my boy reach the age of 10...

The doctor couldn't rule out meningitis so my little boy was rushed off in an ambulance at a speed that would have given Nigel Mansell a run for his money.

Thank god for flashing blue sirens.

In silence I prayed for god to give me back my son.

The curtain may well have been a brick wall that separated me and my little boy in the hospital. But he was in good hands I assured myself and that being the hands of god.

It seemed like a life time before that curtain came swishing back to have the doctor in his white coat appear before me.

I gave him lemonade I wiped his brow. I smothered him with all the love I could possibly give. Where did I go wrong doctor? You did nothing wrong was his reply.

Just to hear the words that there was no cause for alarm and that my little boy was going to pull through, gave me back all the strength that had drained from my body. It was a virus on the inside trying to break out.

Tears flowed like that of Niagara falls as I rushed to my little boy's side. I had unfinished business to attend to and that was to thank the man himself up above for hearing my cry. Now to arrange a ten year olds birthday party.

A mother's love is great medicine for comforting her children but when it comes to curing them. Please call a doctor.