She wasn't aware of the disease's symptoms at the time, thinking he just had a fluey bug.
Claire, 32, said: "He woke up with a bit of a headache on the Friday and had been sick. He also said his little toe hurt. I didn't think anything was seriously wrong. Because he had asthma and fell ill quite easily, I went to the chemist and got some Calpol.
In the evening we saw a bruise on his foot and thought that explained the sore toe. I didn't realise it could be a sign of septicaemia."
Liam then woke up in the early hours of Saturday morning and asked for the doctor because his headache was so bad.
A rash had started
A rash had started to develop when the doctor arrived and Liam was rushed to hospital. Liam died two days later, when his life-support machine had to be switched off, leaving his family heartbroken. He died from the dangerous meningococcal septicaemia form of the disease, which leads to death in a tenth of cases.
It occurs when meningococcal bacteria enter the blood stream and multiply uncontrollably, poisoning the blood and completely overwhelming the immune system.
Claire said: "Unfortunately we didn't catch it in time. It was just like he had a cold until the latter stages of the disease, which is why it's so important people are vigilant to all the symptoms - not just the rash.
Ultimately, I want Meningitis Now to find a vaccine for Meningitis B but until then I'm going to do my upmost to educate people."
