The family of a seven-year-old girl are backing a campaign to make more people aware of the brain condition which almost claimed her life.

Annabelle Kember, of Toronto Road, Gillingham, was originally thought to have meningitis when she became ill in 2012 and had to be placed on life support.

Doctors at The Evelina Children’s Hospital in London discovered she had been affected by Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis which causes an inflammation of the brain.

Now Annabelle’s mum, Charmaine, wants to make more people aware of the condition by sharing her daughter’s story on World Encephalitis Day today.

Ms Kember, who had given birth to her fourth child just days before Annabelle became ill, said: “Annabelle spent the Christmas and new year on life support, then slowly but surely started to make small and steady improvements, learning to move, speak and eat again.

“She had lost all muscle control and we expected our little girl to be confined to a wheelchair. However, after lots of physio, lots of tender loving care and medicine, our little girl turned the corner. “

Nine months later, Annabelle rejoined her classmates at St Mary’s RC School in Gillingham.

Her mum added: “Annabelle amazed everyone. She has just turned seven and has been left with many residual effects, but to look at her you see a normal, loud, energetic, excitable little girl.

“Daily life isn’t of course without its challenges and the encephalitis almost robbed us of the little girl I gave birth to, but we cling onto the fact that she is still here with us.

“We know if she can survive encephalitis she can survive anything.”

Around 500,000 people are affected by encephalitis globally each year. The condition can leave survivors with an acquired brain injury, affecting memory and concentration, as well as epilepsy or fatigue.

This year’s World Encephalitis Day is asking people to wear something red to raise funds and awareness.

Dr Ava Easton, chief executive of The Encephalitis Society, said: “The sad fact is that not many people have heard of encephalitis unless it has happened to them, a family member or friend. We want to change that.”