Sixteen-year-old Elyse McLeod, a year 11 pupil at Bridlington School, gave birth to daughter Kaitlyn at Hull Royal Infirmary on October 29.

Less than three weeks later Kaitlyn was diagnosed with meningitis, leaving Elyse to hear the devastating news that doctors were unable to save her baby.

Kaitlyn spent her last three days on a ventilator at Martin House Children's Hospice, in Boston Spa, before her life-support machine was switched off.

She was just 21 days old when she died.

Elyse was determined to do something positive after suffering her loss and became involved with Meningitis UK and its Walk of Roses – a coast to coast charity walk from Blackpool to Bridlington.

Dressed as a fairy, Elyse and more than 70 of her family and friends joined the final stage, a 14-mile stretch between Driffield and Bridlington.

"It felt good in many ways to know we were doing something," said Elyse.

"I kept telling myself to keep going and I kept thinking of Kaitlyn.

"There were loads of us there – my parents, sisters, friends from school and from the baby group I used to go to. They all walked with me.

"I was really touched," she said.

John Watt, pastoral manager for year 11 at Bridlington School, supported Elyse throughout her ordeal and joined the walk.

"We were so pleased with the turn-out, there was an excellent atmosphere," said Mr Watt.

"Elyse is a very bright academic student and has a strong network of family and friends around her. She is a very brave girl."
Elyse completed the walk but is now on crutches after pulling ligaments in her ankle.

"I was determined to finish it," she said. "I was really aching and the last mile was the hardest. I felt like fainting and it seemed to go on forever!"

Courageous Elyse donated Kaitlyn's heart valves so her daughter's death may help save another child.

The valves could not be used until six months after removal so Elyse should soon find out who has received them.

"My older sister died of a heart defect before I was born, when she was just three days old," said Elyse.

"We didn't think about donating until we were told that Kaitlyn definitely wasn't going to make it. It made me feel a little better, knowing she would be helping somebody else.

"It would be nice to know whether a little boy or girl gets them."
Meningitis kills around 300 people each year and Meningitis UK is desperately raising money to try to find a cure.

Steve Dayman, chief executive of Meningitis UK, said the charity was grateful to Elyse and her friends for supporting the Walk of Roses, which raised almost £30,000.

Elyse is now concentrating on passing her GCSEs and has ambitions to study childcare at Beverley College in September.

You can donate money to Meningitis UK's Search 4 A Vaccine campaign at Elyse's family pet shop Pet Paradise, in Clarence Road, Bridlington.

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