A LITTLE Kirkcaldy girl who had to have her hands and feet amputated after contracting meningitis, is to be honoured at the Woman’s Own Children Of Courage Awards next month.

Paige Allan will join other youngsters aged between five and 15 as they receive their awards before a star-studded congregation at Westminster Abbey, London, on December 13 and are then guests of honour at a special reception held at the House of Lords.

Prior to the ceremony, the winners will attend a breakfast at Number 10 Downing Street to be hosted by Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie.

Paige, now five, fell ill with the rare Hib strain of meningitis and septicaemia when she was aged just 13 months and the disease rapidly ravaged her tiny body.

She was connected to a life support machine as she suffered multiple organ failure and parents Nicola and Barry were warned their daughter might not survive. But the doctors had reckoned without the little girl’s fighting spirit and, ever so slowly, she began to recover.

Tragically, though, the blood had flowed to Paige’s vital organs to keep her alive, badly affecting her legs and arms, and doctors had to perform a quadruple amputation.

After many problems with prosthetic limbs, Paige taught herself to walk and do most things other toddlers can, but further surgery to correct the alignment in her legs left Paige unable to walk again for two years.

Amazingly, last year she led 200 children on a charity walk to raise funds for the Sick Children’s Hospital in Edinburgh.

In May this year, Paige had to have yet more surgery and again had to re-learn to walk and again she succeeded. She started school in August and walking to her classroom for the first time was an achievement that’s often seemed impossible over the last few years.

Mother Nicola said, “Paige is doing really well and we’re all so very proud of her.”

Paige was nominated by her gran Janette Martin, who said, “Her determination and cheerfulness is a lesson to us all.

“The word ‘can’t’ just isn’t in her vocabulary.”