PARENTS who nearly lost their baby to meningitis after he was misdiagnosed are launching a new charity shop to help beat the killer disease.

Brent and Ann Howarth were told by a doctor back in 2003 that their baby boy Vanna had measles, only to find out he had the deadly illness the next day.

Now aged 13, Thornleigh student Vanna is a happy, active boy, but still suffers with long-term learning difficulties as a result of the disease.

The parents, who live in Ainsworth Lane, Tonge Fold, are now set to open up a charity shop in St Helens Road to raise money for the Meningitis Now charity, which they said have offered them invaluable support over the years.

Brent Howarth, aged 59, still remembers the terrifying moments when his six-month-old son developed the illness — after he was told it was measles.

He said: “There was a big campaign at the time about the symptoms of meningitis and I could see that Vanna had most of them.”

After being unable to get a GP appointment, he took Vanna to an out-of-hours centre and said a doctor there took just minutes looking at his son.

He said: “It was very brief and the doctor simply said he had measles and said he would get worse before he got better.”

The next morning, Mr Howarth’s wife called him, worried because Vanna had developed large bruises on his body.

He said: “We took him to A&E at the Royal Bolton Hospital and I cannot praise the staff there enough, within 30 seconds of taking him in we were in a side room with six doctors surrounding us.

“He was then in intensive care for 10 days and his bruises grew from the size of five pence pieces to fifty pence pieces — it was a very terrifying time for us.”

Initially, the illness left Vanna with a raft of physical problems, including with his hearing, his balance and his speech.

But over time his parents have sought help which has seen him improve.

His dad said: “Now Vanna is a happy, bouncing 13-year-old boy who enjoys climbing trees and playing on the Xbox, he gets on well with his three brothers and sister.

“He has been left with learning difficulties, which we support him with and while he didn’t get off scot-free, we know we are very lucky to still have him with us — there are other parents in Bolton who have not been so lucky.”

Included in that list is Bolton dad Robert Leyland, who lost his three-year-old daughter Morgan to meningitis in 2002.

Like Mr Howarth, Robert Leyland had taken his daughter to the Landmark House centre and he also claims that the same doctor carried out a misdiagnosis — but no action has ever been taken.

Mr Howarth said: “I have spoken to Robert recently and he supports what we are doing with the shop — he has regularly donated to Meningitis Now.

“For us, the shop is a way of saying thank you for the support we have received and we would be very grateful if people want to donate items that we can sell.”

The Howarths are hopeful of launching the charity shop, in St Helens Road, Daubhill, in the next few weeks and are eager to take any spare items people are willing to donate.

Anyone with donations is encouraged to call Mr Howarth on 07927 684115.