Toddler spends first Christmas at home with family after battling deadly meningitis

A 22-month-old boy has returned to a hospital to thank doctors for saving his life and giving him back his hearing.

Jacob Dodsworth was rushed to Sheffield Children's Hospital on Christmas Day 2014 after contracting meningitis.

His parents initially thought he had a simple cold but took him to A&E after realising it was something more serious.

Jacob's father Tim Dodsworth told ITV News: "Things weren't right, we could tell that, so we set off to go to the hospital.

"We got halfway to the hospital and he just collapsed in the car.

"He just went grey and floppy so they rushed him into A&E, drilled straight into his bone in his leg and got fluids into his system."

Jacob spent four weeks in hospital fighting the illness, which left him profoundly deaf.

But 12 months on and doctors have now fitted Jacob with cochlear implants so he can hear again.

Sarah Griffiths, one of the nurses who treated Jacob at Sheffield Children's Hospital, said: "For him to actually recognise us and give us a good smile and kiss us - lots of kisses - it's fabulous and it just means the world."

Full video report by ITV News' Jenny Longden: