THE current meningitis scares have taught local parents to be vigilant when it comes to their children's health. And one couple knows all too well how important it is to rely on parental instinct.

It's now eighteen months since Belinda and Warren Day's youngest daughter fell ill due to a brain tumour.

Today, thanks to their decisive actions, seven-year-old Lauren is a happy, healthy child again.

It all began with regular, inexplicable stomach aches and vomiting. That's when her parents started to worry about their youngest's health - and that's when every parent's worse nightmare began.

Speaking from their Daisy Hill home, Belinda explained that a seemingly innocuous fall off a swing was a crucial event in Lauren's story.

"It's a seizure," is what Belinda thought. "It's a viral infection", was the hospital's diagnosis. The Day couple, from Rayden Crescent, came to suspect there was something wrong with Lauren's brain when her left side was still weak the next day. She had also started to get clumsy at home.

Two days later, Belinda's instincts told her to take Lauren out of school and in to hospital again.

"I knew there was something not right," she said.

To "eliminate things", a brain scan was done. It was a terrifying time for the whole family.

"You have this enormous doubt about what they are going to find," said Belinda.

And when a doctor said: "I'm sorry to have to tell you, we've found something at the base of the brain," she thought it was the end of the world.

"You hear those words and you think, 'that's it, what hope is there?'", said Belinda

"I was hysterical. Your imagination is all over the place.

"It's just your worst nightmare.

"But you try to hold yourself together, because you don't want to frighten Lauren."

Their daughter was then whisked off to Pendlebury Children's Hospital.

"I remember the consultant came up to Lauren said 'You have been having all these headaches, Lauren.' Think of me as your friendly plumber - we'll get rid of what is on your brain, because it's like a sink that's blocked.'"

"Somebody finally believed her," said Belinda.

The five hour operation to remove the tumour carried a 40 per cent risk of disabilities or death.

Not operating would have meant Lauren would only have had a few weeks to live, dad Warren explained.

Waiting for the operation to finish, Belinda spotted a picture of an angel on a hospital wall. Closing her eyes, she could see Lauren floating around, just like an angel.

The anxious wait ended when they saw Lauren sitting up in bed, attached to various tubes which Warren said made her look "like a puppet", giving her mum and dad the pre-arranged "thumbs up" signal.

Three days later, Lauren - who had 50 stitches in her head - started walking and six days later she was home. Her recovery has been steady ever since and now, Lauren is only required to have annual check-ups for the next five years.

"Nobody could believe her it," said Belinda.

"But Lauren could have died. She could have gone to sleep and not woken up."

Lauren herself never knew the seriousness of her illness until much later.

"When she came home, Hannah - her older sister - said: 'you nearly died'," remembered Belinda.

"But Lauren answered: 'No I didn't'."

As a treat for both girls, the family went on holiday to Florida as soon as Lauren was able to fly. On the wall at their home, they have the photographs to prove it.

Next to these snaps is a picture of an angel and a capital L for Lauren.

It's a reminder of a time which is, thankfully, behind them all now.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.