A NEWPORT mum whose baby died of meningitis after allegedly being sent home from hospital is demanding to know why doctors did not spot the deadly disease until too late.

Aleesha Evans was a happy, bright, nine-month-old who loved pulling faces and was starting to crawl, say her parents Shiree Hanbury and Craig Evans, from Bettws.

But they are now mourning her after they claim staff from the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport sent them home with Calpol and Nurofen last Wednesday night.

They say they were assured Aleesha did not have meningitis - but hours later she was dead from the disease.

"If they had spotted it then maybe she would still be here," says Miss Hanbury.

An internal inquiry has been launched by Gwent Healthcare Trust.

A spokesman said full details of the inquiry findings would be released to Aleesha's family when it was completed.

Miss Hanbury and her ex-partner Mr Evans, both 20, rushed to the hospital after Aleesha developed a purple blotch on her ribcage, started being sick and, although her body was burning up, had cold arms and legs.

They arrived at 7.45pm and their baby was examined by doctors, x-rayed and had a urine sample taken. Miss Hanbury says they were told it was only a viral infection and to go home.

Mr Evans insisted on getting a second opinion. "He was arguing, saying were they sure, but they said It's not meningitis' and I believed them, I trusted them," said Miss Hanbury, who lives on Frome Walk.

Miss Hanbury was told to return if Aleesha worsened and at 11.15pm Miss Hanbury left the hospital with Aleesha and went to her mother Karen's house on Elan Close.

Aleesha, normally a contented baby, was disturbed and would not settle.

After a sleepless night Miss Hanbury saw purple marks on her baby's face at 7am and called an ambulance, which arrived minutes later.

They were rushed back to the Royal Gwent, but the difference in their treatment was remarkable, says Miss Hanbury "Before I felt like we were being a nuisance and they wanted us to leave."

As they waited the young parents could hear their daughter's screams, but were confident she would survive.

"We got her to the doctors straight away and that's what you're meant to do," said Miss Hanbury.

But throughout the morning Aleesha's condition worsened, with her heart twice stopping. Doctors decided to transfer her to The University of Wales Hospital, Cardiff, at about 2pm and warned her parents she might not survive the journey.

They followed in a taxi as there was not enough room in the ambulance and arrived to find their daughter sedated with tubes coming from all over her body.

Her condition stabilised and they left her side for 15 minutes but returned to find doctors frantically trying to resuscitate Aleesha.

"All our family were stood around her begging the doctors not to give up," said Miss Hanbury.

Unable to watch her daughter's bruised body electrically shocked to try and restart her heart Miss Hanbury left the room. But another baby's cry gave her false hope and she turned to see doctors finally stop their efforts.

"I'm devastated, we loved her so much," she said. I keep expecting to hear her and wake up wondering where she is."

She added: "I don't want this to happen to anyone else. I want to know what went wrong."

Dr Lika Nehaul, consultant in communicable disease control with the National Public Health Service for Wales, said the baby died of meningococcal disease and all close contacts in the family have been identified and treated.

* Aleesha Evans's funeral will take place this Friday at 12pm at St David Lewis Church, Bettws, followed by burial at 1pm in St Woolos Cemetery, Newport. Floral tributes to funeral directors Michael G Ryan and Son, 106 Malpas Road, Newport by 9.30am on Friday.