Hastings girl, 4, in coma after falling ill at school

Mia Rose, aged four, became unwell at school and was sent home, her family added.

She is now in a specialist hospital in Essex suffering from a rare condition and has had to be induced into a coma.

Tracy Gasworthy, the youngster’s grandmother, said: “It all started last Friday she became unwell at school and was sent home. Her mum Danielle called the doctor describing the symptoms. She was told it was scarlet fever and her daughter was put on antibiotics.

“But she got worse and her dad Zac took her back to the doctors, as she wasn't getting any better. That night her whole body swelled up, lots of blisters appeared on her and she was very out of it.

“She was rushed to the Conquest Hospital where she was put on a drip and given more antibiotics. But she was getting worse so they decided she needed to be transferred to Broomfield Hospital in Essex where they diagnosed her with Stevens-Johnson syndrome.”

Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a rare but serious skin reaction that is usually caused by taking certain medicines. It needs to be treated immediately in hospital. Severe Stevens-Johnson syndrome is sometimes called toxic epidermal necrolysis.

The NHS said Stevens-Johnson syndrome is often caused by the body reacting to certain medicines, particularly some types of epilepsy medicines, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory painkillers.

In children, Stevens-Johnson syndrome can sometimes be caused by infections like cold or flu, cold sores and glandular fever, the NHS said.

The condition is named after Albert Mason Stevens and Frank Chambliss Johnson, American paediatricians who jointly published a description of the disorder in the American Journal of Diseases of Children in 1922.

Tracy added: “Mia’s mum is 33 weeks pregnant and wasn't allowed to go with her daughter, so her dad is staying at the hospital. Her mum is having to travel to Essex to see her. She also has two other children she has to get help with.

“We don't know how long recovery will take. They have removed 95 per cent of skin from her little body. It’s heartbreaking, as one minute she's a happy little girl and the next she's in a induced coma, needing intensive care.”

Tracy has set up a Gofundme page to help pay towards costs of travel and overnight stays for Mia’s mum, as well as childcare for the other two children.

The page can be found at www.gofundme.com/f/mia-rose-family.