IN the first week of December the chances of Lochgelly mum Micheala Spacey being able to be at home with her new son Jackson for Christmas seemed almost nil.

Said the 24 year-old prison officer from McKenzie Crescent: "Thanks to my mum and the brilliant staff at the Vic I was starting to feel a bit better by December 6 by still did not think I would be at home by Christmas.

"However, I cannot praise the work of the doctors and nurses, they were my heroes as the treatment really started to take a grip of the condition and I felt so much like my old self.

"I was told by the medics that I had suffered mastitis from a cracked nipple and this developed into Sepsis.

"Apparently only one in 100 of mastitis sufferers contract Sepsis but I got it and without the support from my mum, gran and Ross, along with the tremendous treatment I received at the Vic, I might might not have been here to see Jackson grow up."

Having had a lovely family Christmas with her baby, she is feeling really well now but she is under no illusion as to how close she came to dying.

Added Micheala: "I think the message is never believe you are wasting anyone's time by getting serious illness checked out.

"If I had not taken my mum's advice I was told by the medical people I could have been struggling to survive.

"If you have Sepsis symptoms getting these checked out quickly can end up saving your life."

Micheala had Jackson with her throughout her recovery, even at the blackest moments, and even though at times she could remember little of what was going on she felt it was an inspiration to her.

She concluded: "I cannot thank the staff at the Vic enough for what they did for me and my family. They are my heroes."