A MEMBER of the Royal Family says she is “completely heartbroken” at the plight of a Bradford baby who has had all four limbs amputated because of meningitis.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, has written a letter of support to the family of Kia Gott, who is fighting the worst case of meningitis doctors have seen in decades.

Eleven-month-old Kia, from Wyke, is on a high dependency unit facing a series of skin grafts and being weaned off a drug stronger than heroin.

Now the family has received a personal letter from the Countess, who is Patron of the Meningitis Now charity.

In it, she says: “I wanted to write to you after learning about your beautiful baby daughter, Kia.

“I am completely heartbroken and devastated by Kia’s prognosis and can’t begin to imagine how you are feeling at this impossibly difficult time.

“I am so very sorry for what you are going through. I know words are inconsequential but I felt compelled to reach out,” she wrote and ended the letter saying: “I wish you peace, strength and hope as Kia rebuilds her strength and I send my love to your family.”

Doctors have warned that baby Kia could lose her sight, her hearing and be 90 per cent brain damaged by meningitis C septicaemia. But her aunt, Donna Gott, described Kia as “remarkable” and said she was “meant to be here” but added that she was still “far from being out of the woods.”

Last week, doctors told Kia’s mum and dad her gut had stopped working and if it did not heal, there would be little else they could do for her.

“She’s a tough little cookie, she’s meant to be here. She looks like a little teddy bear in bed,” said Mrs Gott, who added that Kia would next need to be weaned off a drug called Fentanyl, a painkiller stronger than heroin.

She also said the family did not believe Kia was fully blind and deaf because she was following her mum Vikki’s voice.

Kia, who has an older brother Kayden, eight, and four-year-old sister Elsie, is starting to put on a bit of weight and has grown two teeth since being in hospital.

Meanwhile, a brain scan taken after she did not wake up for one week has shown there is no further deterioration or infection. She faces a series of skin grafts from her back and belly and will stay in the high dependency unit at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) until around January.

Mrs Gott said: “We are also having a special doll made with amputations for her sister Elsie to help her understand what Kia is facing, Elsie keeps asking when will Kia’s legs grow back.

“We also started a trend #shesnotjustanumbertous and #vaccinateourbabiesagainstmenigitis. Were trying to get people to share on social media.”

Kia’s dad Paul has since slammed the NHS for its decision to stop giving babies under 12-months the MenC vaccine. The vaccine for 12-week-old babies was discontinued from the NHS childhood vaccination programme last July because there were almost no cases in the UK. Instead, all children are now offered a Hib/MenC vaccine on their first birthday - Kia was just three months away from being given it when she fell ill in September.

Wellwishers at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/emma-simpson-2 have brought in more than £26,000 for the family. Her other aunt Terri Mitchell wrote on the page: “Kia has had her 4th amputation and is still fighting. She’s a little sleepy after all her ops. Keep praying and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your well wishes and donations.”

Kia’s dad discovered the rash on his daughter’s face, neck and chest - a known symptom of meningococcal septicemia - after going to check on her in the middle of the night.

Paramedics arrived fast but her veins had collapsed, so they had to drill into her tiny shin to give her emergency drugs. While that was happening, she had a mini cardiac arrest, said Mrs Gott. Kia was rushed to Bradford Royal Infirmary where medics told her family it was meningitis and she was not likely to survive. She was transferred to LGI where doctors told the family it is the worst case they have seen for 25 years.

Meningitis Now’s helpline number is 0808 80 10 388