Tilly, from Consett, County Durham, battled against the illness and returned home after four weeks in hospital and 10 blood transfusions.
But the disease damaged her hands and toes so badly they had to be amputated.
These days, Tilly Lockey is one of the youngest North East entrepreneurs, a global ambassador for Bristol based ‘Open Bionics’ (who manufacture her 3d printed lower limb prosthesis the ‘Hero Arm’) and travels the world as an inspirational speaker.
She is also a presenter on SKY TV’s kids news programme FYI: For Your Info as well as a model, influencer, makeup blogger, actor and singer.
Tilly recently won the CBBC singing TV programme ‘Got What It Takes’ and will perform on one of the main stages at next year’s BBC Radio1 Big Weekend.
Here is her incredible story, as told by Chronicle Live since her diagnosis at 15 months old.
The 17-month-old spent four weeks in Newcastle General Hospital where she had 10 blood transfusions.
But the little smiler pulled through and is now recovering at home with parents Sarah, 28, and Adam, 27.
They were told she had little chance of survival after catching secondary septicaemia.
From their home in Consett, Sarah said: “We have been told she will probably lose her hands and toes, but compared to losing our baby, that is nothing.
“It is just amazing to have her back home smiling and playing. We were told she probably wouldn’t survive because she was so ill so to have her back home is a miracle.”
In the middle of January Sarah took Tilly to her GP because she was tired, sick and had a high temperature. After being sent home with antibiotics for an ear infection her condition worsened.
And within a day Sarah spotted red marks on her body and knew what was wrong.
She called an ambulance and Tilly was taken to Durham City’s Dryburn Hospital where within minutes of arriving she was surrounded by more than 25 doctors as her parents’ worst nightmare came true.
It was confirmed she had group B meningococcal septicaemia, for which there is no vaccination.
Sarah said: “When I heard meningitis I projectile vomited in the hospital room, I was hysterical. You never think it can happen to your own kid.
When he was 15 months old, Lockey had to experience the unfortunate condition of having both his arms and the tips of his toes amputated to cure him of M̲e̲n̲i̲n̲g̲o̲c̲o̲c̲c̲a̲l̲ ̲S̲e̲p̲t̲i̲c̲a̲e̲m̲i̲a̲ ̲B̲.
Since then, Lockey’s body has been equipped with artificial limbs, namely bionic arms, to help with his daily activities.
And recently, Lockey was chosen to host a television show titled ‘FYI: For Your Information’, a British television station program that highlights current issues related to children.
Quoting The Sun , Lockey will interview celebrities and politicians, including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and report on issues affecting young people.
It is known that Lockey was chosen as a presenter when he first appeared on the program to share about his disability.
Lockey’s demeanor impressed the show’s producers so they offered him a job.
The brave teenager has won CBBC’s Got What It Takes? talent show, thanks to her singing skills.
Tilly clinched her victory over fellow finalists with a reworked cover of Sia’s Bird Set Free track, which included a self-penned rap about children needing to shrug off the judgement of others and not worry about the need to conform.
Tilly also performed Lizzo’s Cuz I Love You in the final.
On her self-penned rap, the youngster said: “It was a day I was feeling quite angry with the world about discrimination, ableism and racism. I wrote a journal entry about how I felt and turned it into a rap and put it in a song to sing on Got What it Takes?”
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