When three-year-old Layla Towsey was struck down by meningitis, her family was told to kiss her goodbye.
But five days later the plucky youngster surprised them all when she came round, singing the words to the Abba song Mamma Mia.
Layla, from Gidea Park in Essex, fell ill last month and suffered a heart attack just two hours after being admitted to A and E.
Her mum, Katy Towsey, 23, took her to Queen's Hospital, Romford, after noticing a rash on her leg.
"Layla had been staying with my mum Susan when she began being sick and was delirious," Ms Towsey said.
"When I picked her up she didn't recognise me and had a really high temperature.
"I also noticed a rash on her leg which was really dark.
"I took her to Queen's where the doctor said it was probably a heat rash and not to worry. But I told them I wanted to see a paediatrician.
"Layla was just so delirious. She was saying weird things and I knew something was wrong.
"We were then told it was probably meningitis. Within two hours she had stopped breathing and she'd had a heart attack."
