THE mother of a critically ill girl who was airlifted to hospital in blizzard conditions has praised everyone who helped save her daughter’s life.

Seven-year-old Ellie Hills was struck down with the potentially deadly meningitis strain - meningococcal septicemia – in the week before Christmas and her mum found her unconscious in her bed.

She was taken by ambulance to Dorset County Hospital where staff decided she needed specialist treatment at Southampton’s paediatric intensive care unit.

Her mum Lucy Hills said without the life-saving work by Portland Coastguard helicopter crew to transfer Ellie on a day when a fierce Arctic blizzard hit Dorset - Monday December 20 - her eldest daughter ‘wouldn’t be here'.

The Rescue 106 helicopter crew made repeated attempts to cross Ridgeway Hill when no other aircraft would fly, while other coastguard crew, hospital staff and volunteers worked in extreme conditions to clear snow from the hospital’s helipad and intensive care staff kept Ellie’s condition under control.

The airlift was successful and the little girl spent a week in intensive care before being moved to a children’s ward on Boxing Day.

Ms Hills, aged 25, of Westham said it was hoped that in two weeks Ellie could be transferred back to DCH and then returned home.

The mum-of-four said: “Ellie’s doing all right although she’s still not out of the woods.

“When she comes home we want to take her over to the coastguard to say thank you because without them she wouldn’t be here.

“They got to the Ridgeway and the weather was so bad that the helicopter blades started freezing.

“They had to turn back again and tried every 10 minutes to get to her.

“Ellie was meant to go in the air ambulance but that couldn’t take off.”

Ms Hills said once the helicopter had made it through the transfer happened very quickly, with Ellie in a very critical condition.

She added: “They only took 30 minutes to get her to hospital - they really pushed it for her.”

Ms Hills was amazed to see around 30 people, including nurses, doctors and ‘consultants in their wellington boots’ clearing snow from the landing site.

She said: “I was just really overwhelmed by how many people pulled together to help Ellie.

“Thanks to those guys at the coastguard she’s still here today, she was very critical and they weren’t sure if she was going to survive.

“I’d like to thank Dr Ward and the intensive care team in Dorchester, staff at the paediatric intensive care unit at Southampton and the two police officers who escorted me to Ringwood.”

Last year St Augustine's Primary School pupil Ellie also spent Christmas in intensive care after suffering from Guillain–Barré syndrome, which attacks the immune system.

Her mum said this year an ‘extra special’ Christmas had been planned for Ellie, her sister Abigail, aged five, and brothers Logan, four, and one-year-old Bailey but then disaster struck.

The seven-year-old was first taken to hospital on Sunday, December 19 when her temperature shot up but doctors sent her home around 9pm saying she had flu.

Ms Hills said: “By 6am the next morning she was unconscious in her bed - it was very, very lucky I found her.

“In the space of six hours she deteriorated really badly and that’s when we had to call an ambulance.

“When the ambulance team came they saw purple rashes on her back and that’s when they said she had meningococcal septicemia.

“My heart stopped, I thought ‘Oh my God’ and from that point on the whole day was a big blur.

“I was really, really crying.”

Ms Hills has since asked doctors if more could have been done if she had been kept in hospital that Sunday night and was told it would not have made a difference ‘because once the condition takes hold it is so serious'.

She said: “It comes that fast and furious you don’t realise it’s upon you and then you see the rash and it’s so scary.

“Ellie was in intensive care from Monday until Boxing Day then she was transferred on to the wards.

“We’re travelling to see her every day.”

THE Echo has launched an appeal to enable Ellie to enjoy the Christmas she deserves when she is well enough to return home from hospital.

If you would like to contribute in any way contact Laura Kitching on 01305 830984 or email laura.kitching@dorsetecho.co.uk