A family has been reunited with the ambulance crew who saved the life of their six-month-old daughter who contracted meningitis.

Rickie and Carly Hicks, of Allerton Road, in Borehamwood, were at the cinema with their daughter Lily in January when she fell ill.

Believing something was wrong the couple took their daughter to Watford General Hospital but they went home. Lily's health then deteriorated, the spots on her back turned dark and purple and she became completely unresponsive.

READ MORE: Couple join petition after seven-month-old daughter wrongly diagnosed with meningitis

After the family dialled 999, emergency medical technician Stephen Cutler from the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust was sent to the scene.

He said: "I saw Lily in her mother's arms, lifeless, with glazed eyes and a really bad purple rash on her body. I immediately grabbed a glass to push onto the rash which confirmed to me that she had meningitis."

Mr Cutler requested immediate back up and paramedic Jonathan Brownett and technician John Caballero arrived.

Mr Caballero said: "It was clear that Lily was extremely unwell, the rash was a typical symptom of meningococcal septicaemia; quite frankly she was the sickest child that I had ever seen."

The life-saving drug benzyl penicillin was given to Lily before she was taken to Barnet General Hospital for further care. She was later transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital, where she made a full recovery.

Last week, Lily and her parents were reunited with the crews under much happier circumstances. Mr and Mrs Hicks had nothing but praise for what the crews did on that day.

Mr Hicks said: "Without a doubt they have made a difference to our lives; to say that day was scary was an understatement, it was the worst thing I have experienced.

"If it was not for them, our lives would be completely different."

Mr Brownett, who now works for the Scottish Ambulance Service, flew down just for the reunion and said: "There was no way I was not coming to see her again, seeing her walking, smiling and just being a normal toddler was amazing.

"The family cannot thank us enough but we cannot thank the job and training we have had to be able to make that difference."

Mr and Mrs Hicks have raised more than £12,000 for charity and will be taking part in a charity sky dive called Jump for Lily's Journey.

To donate, visit https://fundrazr.com/61AF3a