Adorable toddler who lost ALL her limbs to meningitis takes first steps on her new legs – and she can paint her toenails for the first time too
AN ADORABLE little girl who lost both arms and legs to meningitis can finally walk again after being fitted with a pair of custom prosthetic legs.
Harmonie-Rose Allen had just taken her first steps when she was struck down by the deadly brain disease at the age of 10 months old.
She defied the odds to survive but needed both legs amputated at the knee and both arms removed at the elbow.
The brave youngster has now taken a big first step in a process that will allow her to walk and even run around with her friends when she begins school.
Harmonie has been fitted with new £10,000 legs by leading prosthetic clinic Dorset Orthopaedic.
She had previously worn false NHS legs but they didn't fit her properly and Harmonie didn't like wearing them.
But, the new ones, which are decorated with unicorns and rainbows and have life-like feet and toes.
And the comfy fit will help the adorable toddler gain confidence to stand, balance and walk on her own.
It is hoped that after she starts school next year she will progress to running blades.
For now she is delighted that she has some toes that she can paint with the help of her mum, Freya Hall.
The family have used some of the £143,000 generously donated by the public to the Hope 4 Harmonie Justgiving page to pay for the new legs.
Miss Hall, 23, said: "The NHS legs didn't fit Harmonie well and we knew the longer we left it the harder it was going to be for her to learn to walk.
"So we decided to use some of the money raised through the Justgiving page to get prosthetics privately.
"She has adapted well to life without limbs, but we hope the new legs will give Harmonie the confidence to walk on her own.
"At the moment she is still learning to balance and stand upright on her new legs.
She has adapted well to life without limbs, but we hope the new legs will give Harmonie the confidence to walk on her own
Freya Hall
"She can walk with the help of a special walking frame or with people holding her arms but lacks the confidence to take steps on her own for fear of falling.
"Many children we know struggle to walk on the NHS legs, especially quadruple amputees.
"We really want Harmonie to be able to at least take a few steps on her own before she starts school.
"The new ones connect properly, they are more comfortable and already after just a few days I can see an improvement.
"She loves unicorns and she thought they would help her walk because unicorns are magical."
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Miss Hall and her partner Ross Allen, 25, from Bath, Somerset, had watched Harmonie take her first steps just ten days before she fell ill with the deadly meningitis B virus in 2014.
Doctors told them there was just a ten per cent chance of survival and Harmonie's was one of the worst cases of the killer bug they had ever seen.
Since then the tot has had to re-learn how to feed herself, play and get around.
She was even given a doll with prosthetic arms and legs, just like her.
When Harmonie met Dorset Orthopaedic prosthetist Gillian Burrage she told her she liked pink, glitter and unicorns.
The new legs will last Harmonie about six months and then she'll need new ones because she will have grown.
Mrs Burrage said: "These legs will help her improve her balance and get her walking and then hopefully eventually we can get her onto running blades so she can keep up with her friends in the playground.
"It will probably take about a year. She needs to have her balance first, if we put her straight on the blades she would fall over a lot.
"It's a big thing for someone to do. This is going to be life-long for Harmonie and as she's young and still growing she will need new sockets probably about every six months until she's 18.
"We try to keep the kids' stuff as cheap as possible but they are still about £5,000 a leg."
Physiotherapist Mary Tebb added: "In just a week she has already made progress. Her standing balance on her own is better and we got her to do more steps than when she first tried them.
"It's harder for her because she doesn't have arms. She knows she can't save herself if she falls.
"There are plenty of children in her situation that go through life in a wheelchair, they just won't do it.
"But we'll definitely get Harmonie walking."
The money raised through the Justgiving page, Hope 4 Harmonie, will help pay for her future rehabilitation.
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