A distraught mum who lost a baby to meningitis is facing further agony as her other son fights to survive the illness.

Andrea Carr was left heartbroken when the virus took the life of her eight-week-old son David.

And now she has to watch helpless as the son she had to free her from her grief battles the same miningococcal strain of the disease.

There are only 2,500 cases of the strain in the UK each year and experts say the chances of two children catching the bug in one family are around six-million-to-one.

Five-month-old Kenneth is fighting for his life in the intensive care unit at Newcastle General Hospital as his mum keeps a bedside vigil.

David was born in 1998 weighing 7lb 8oz. But Andrea's joy turned to agony five weeks later on April 12 when he began to display cold symptoms.

Andrea's mum, Lynda, 43, a duty manager at Newcastle Airport, said David was rushed to hospital by ambulance where he was diagnosed with meningococcol meningitis. Despite frantic efforts doctors were unable to save him.

Kenneth was born in February weighing a healthy 9lb 5oz. But Andrea began to get concerned on July 8 when he began to display similar cold symptoms to David.

On Friday morning she called out an emergency doctor when Kenneth's condition worsened.

The doctor came to the house she shares with her parents in Fawdon, Newcastle at 7.30pm and prescribed antibiotics for a cold.

But the following morning Andrea took him to the doctors surgery when he deteriorated.

Andrea was told his condition was no worse - but if she was concerned to take him to hospital.

Vigilant Andrea, remembering her son's symptoms, did just that and emergency staff immediately diagnosed possible meningitis.

Tests confirmed Andrea;s worst fears and Kenneth was transfered to Newcastle General Hospital where he remains in intensive care.

After intensive antibiotic treatment and a lumbar puncture to remove fluid from his brain Kenneth's condition is said to be comfortable.

Now the distraught family face an agonising wait to see if he will pull through.

Andrea, 22, who is seven weeks pregnant, said: "I am devastated. You can't imaging what it is like to lose a child to this disease.

"Having Kenneth helped me get over that and to find out he also had meninigitis destroyed me.

"I feel like my world has been pulled from under me. I watch helpless."

A spokeswoman for the Meningitis Trust said: "This is very very rare indeed. I've only ever known of two cases before."