A mum has revealed how her daughter's 'chickenpox' turned out to be the most extreme case of hand, foot and mouth disease 'doctors had ever seen'.

Emma Reavley, 41, is sharing a heartbreaking image of her tot covered in painful red blisters in order to raise awareness about the distressing condition.

She first noticed a few red spots on the back of her two-year-old Emily's neck on April 25 and assumed she had caught chickenpox from her sister Evie, four.

But the mum-of-eight watched as the spots seemed to 'appear before her eyes' and spread over her poorly toddler's body.

Emily, 2, was taken to an urgent care centre in Hemel Hampstead and was sent home with antibiotics to treat chickenpox (
Image:
Kennedy News and Media)

By the next morning, Emily's whole body was covered in angry red sores that had spread into her mouth and down her throat making it painful for her to swallow - and Emma knew 'something wasn't right'.

The tot's mum and dad Shaun Reavley, 39, took her to the Urgent Care Centre in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, where doctors sent Emily home with antibiotic cream and medicine to treat chickenpox.

But within a few hours of being home, Emily's temperature had 'skyrocketed' so her parents rushed her to Watford General Hospital where she was diagnosed with the most severe case of HFMD 'doctors had ever seen'.

Emily had to be quarantined in her home for the next 14 days as the disease is highly contagious - and spent the first five days slumped on the sofa in tears from the pain.

While her little girl is now back to her usual 'happy' self, mum Emma is sharing the shocking images of Emily's blistered face and body to warn parents of how dangerous HFMD can get.

Emma, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, said: "Emily started getting a few spots on her neck and I thought it was chickenpox. Evie had chickenpox just three weeks earlier.

Two weeks after her diagnosis, the toddler was back to being her happy self (
Image:
Kennedy News and Media)

"It was just a few at first but it was like they were literally appearing before my eyes. As the day went on, the worse they were getting.

"Her whole body was covered and she had them in her mouth and down her throat. At the hospital, the doctors said it was the worst case of HFMD they'd ever seen.

"We had to keep her incubated indoors at home for two weeks. Fourteen days is such a long time to keep a child quarantined.

"She was watching everyone go out and play and she couldn't go out. It was really upsetting for her. It was horrible.

"Normally even when Emily is poorly, she's like a tornado running around. She's full of beans. She's always on the go as soon as she's up in the morning. She's a livewire.

"It was horrible. It really was heartbreaking to see her like that. I don't ever want to experience it again.

"It wasn't until five days into her quarantine that she started to get back to herself and being a bit cheeky.

"Looking at her now, she's a completely different child to the one in those pictures when she was poorly.

"I never knew HFMD could be so extreme. More people need to be aware. It's not just a case of a few spots on their hands, feet and mouth. Emily was particularly unlucky but it can spread and be so serious."

Mum Emma said it was devastating watching her daughter in pain (
Image:
Kennedy News and Media)

The worried parents first tried to take Emily to their GP but as he was on holiday, were advised to visit a pharmacy where the pharmacist told them to go to the Urgent Care Centre.

At urgent care, Emily was put in isolation for five hours while doctors ruled out measles and scarlet fever as they were uncertain what was causing the tot's symptoms.

When tests for measles and scarlet fever came back negative, Emma says the doctors decided to treat Emily for chickenpox but advised she be taken to hospital if she 'went downhill'.

Emma said: "As Emily's spots spread, I was looking at them and thinking 'they're not chicken pox'. Having so many children, I know what they look like.

"I decided to keep an eye on them but the next morning she was so bad I knew something wasn't right.

"As our doctor wasn't in, we were told to go to the chemist and the pharmacist said Emily needed to be looked at by a doctor as soon as possible so we took her to urgent care.

"I left her in the car with my husband at first in case she was contagious and went in to explain that we thought she had chickenpox but weren't sure.

"They sent her to isolation where she spent the next five hours with doctors coming in and out doing tests because they didn't know what was wrong.

The girl's mum said the red spots "appeared before her eyes" as they spread over her body (
Image:
Kennedy News and Media)

"They ruled out scarlet fever and measles, thank goodness, and decided to treat it like chickenpox.

"They sent Emily home with antibiotic cream and medicine but told us to take her to hospital if she went downhill or her temperature spiked - which it did within a few hours of getting home."

Once home, Emily's condition deteriorated rapidly with her temperature rising to 39C so Emma and roadside mechanic Shaun rushed their youngest daughter to hospital.

Doctors at the hospital immediately recognised Emily's symptoms as a severe case of HFMD as she was the third case they had seen that day.

The toddler had to spend a few hours in hospital while doctors monitored her heart rate which had shot up but was eventually allowed home.

Emma was given a throat spray to help ease the pain of the ulcers in Emily's throat and told to give her daughter allergy relief tablets and apply E45 cream to her sore skin.

While Emily was back to herself after five days, the blisters took six weeks to clear completely and she still has some minor scarring from them.

Once the little girl's two-week quarantine was over, Emma admits they got some concerned looks from strangers when out and about as Emily was still covered in red blotches.

Although it wasn't easy keeping Emily cooped up for 14 days, Emma urges parents whose kids have HFMD to do the same as the condition is incredibly contagious and airborne.

"When she came with me to the shops, once she was allowed out again, we did get people staring. People look as if to say 'oh my god what's that child got?'.

"I would do exactly the same because I'd be worried they were contagious but we would never have risked taking Emily out while she was still contagious.

"It was hard for her being inside for so long. She loves coming with me on the school run and to the shops but it was necessary.

"I would tell any parent whose child has HFMD to follow doctors orders and keep them quarantined for two weeks because it is so contagious and it's airborne.

"If you just take them to the park or for a walk around the block, they can pass it to another child without even touching them.

"That's so unfair on that child and their parents who then need to experience it. It really has been horrible."

Consultant paediatrician Dr Ramesh Chaniyil from West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust, who manage the Urgent Care Centre in Hemel Hempstead, said: "We're delighted to hear that Emily has made a full recovery.

"It can be very easy to miss Hand, Foot and Mouth disease in its early stages as the blisters can look similar to the blisters which appear with chicken pox.