IT WAS a poignant moment when young Ellie Hills met a fellow Weymouth meningitis survivor and his mum.

Youth football coach Derren Hope and Sandra Hodge have been following the progress of the St Augustine’s schoolgirl in the Dorset Echo with great interest – because it is a tale that mirrors their own.

They were so moved to hear of Ellie surviving the potentially deadly meningitis strain – Menin-gococcal Septi-cemia - that they donated a new bike to her family’s charity cycle challenge and presented Ellie with a doll.

Retired Mrs Hodge, of Lynch Road, said 28 years ago doctors warned her that her then eight-year-old son Derren only had a 20 per cent chance of survival from cerebral spinal meningitis.

She said: “He was in hospital for two weeks and it took about a year for him to fully recover.

“I wrapped him up in cotton wool at first and when I did let him go out neighbours used to knock on the door and say ‘Your son is asleep on the pavement’.

“It left him very tired and with muscle weakness but luckily he recovered and is very active now.

“I had to go through counselling for a long time afterwards. It was a very traumatic time.”

She added: “When I saw Ellie’s story in the Echo I really wanted to help, I bought my bike but was diagnosed with asthma and other conditions so haven’t used it.

“I’m glad to see it go to a worthy cause.”

Derren, now 36, who coaches the Weymouth Diamonds under 16s and works at Kemet Electronics Limited, added: “I had it when I was eight and it was quite bad.

“When I saw Ellie’s story I knew what she was going through.

“She’s a very brave little girl and it’s good that she has good people around to support her.”

Ellie’s mum Lucy Hills said although Ellie has made great progress, doctors believe she has been brain damaged bythe disease.

So it was with fresh hope that she met Mrs Hodge and Derren.

She said: “I’d like to give a big thank you to them “It was really helpful to hear about what he’d gone through.