FIRST SHOES, FIRST STEPS FOR MENINGITIS TOT

Oday she is a picture of health - a happy, smiling child, enjoying life to the full.But less than 18 months ago little Kaiya Jackson was clinging to life in a hospital bed, rigged up to countless wires and bravely battling a deadly brain bug.Kaiya, now two, spent her first Christmas in hospital after a severe case of bacterial meningitis ravaged her body and doctors were forced to remove all of her fingers and her right foot just to give her a chance of life again.Then last Christmas, it was reported how little Kaiya was able to enjoy a festive meal for the first time ever using specially adapted cutlery that attaches to her wrist.Now, the determined tot is making new strides after receiving her first prosthetic leg - and her first ever pair of walking shoes.

Other great stories
CHERYL LOOKALIKE SLAMS SKINNY-SHAMING PUBLIC

A Cheryl Fernandez-Versini lookalike has slammed skinny-shamers, after seeing her celebrity doppelganger abused for her tiny frame .

MANDELA MEMORIAL

Thousands of people are gathering at a stadium in Johannesburg for a memorial service for Nelson Mandela .

ABANDONED CALIFORNIAN GOLD RUSH TOWN

A once bustling gold rush town in Mono County, California now stands completed deserted .

JAGU-AWW

This Valentine's Day is set to be purrfect for one loved up couple .

BRAVE LEOPARD BEFRIENDS A CROC

A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .

POLAR BEARS HAVE A SPLASHING TIME

Playing, splashing and generally messing around, these polar bears show they certainly have a soft spot for the water, and not just each other .

SUNBATHING OTTER

A lazy otter finds the ideal spot to soak up the sun and sleep off his lunch .

FREEZING MANATEES STRUGGLE TO STAY WARM

Swimming side by side with divers, these manatees will do anything they can to stay warm .

PHANTOM PREGNANCY NEARLY STOLE MY BABY DREAM

A young mum has told how a phantom pregnancy almost destroyed her dream of having a second child .

POOCHES POSE IN THEIR ELABORATE HEADSCARF COLLECTION

WRAPPED up in classy headscarves, these adorable pooches are the picture of sophistication .

ENTER THE LOST WORLD

Some will get up close and personal with Mother Nature’s deadliest animals to get the perfect shot, posing the question, what lengths will a photographer go to for that all important picture? But in this case, the question should be what depths .

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE BUG KIND

THIS alien-like bug would look more at home in outer-space but it can actually be found wriggling around here on Earth .