When Kitty and Lily Taylor saw their little brother recovering from a serious attack of meningitis, they set out to thank the people who saved his life.

So the seven-year-old twins, from North Leigh, near Witney, held a cake sale to raise money for Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital, and the unit which cared for him.

Herbie, aged 16 months, was taken to the hospital’s Paediatric High-Dependency Unit after being taken ill on Mothers’ Day – March 14.

He is now fighting fit and learning to walk again after a three-week stay in Oxford.

Kitty and Lily sold their home-made cakes to classmates and parents at North Leigh Primary School on Tuesday, raising £293.

Last night, the twins’ mother, Emily Taylor, spoke of her pride at their efforts. She said: “They have been amazing. It must have been so terrifying for them when Herbie was taken into the ambulance. My husband Daniel and I then spent the next three weeks in hospital, and the girls, and Rufus, our two-year-old, had to stay at their grandmother’s.

“But despite going through all of this, their first thought was to raise money for the people who had saved their brother’s life.”

Mrs Taylor, who works at Witney Primary School, said seeing her son in that state was “every parent’s worst nightmare”.

She said: “The paramedics took one look at him, scooped him up and ran with him to the ambulance. It was extremely traumatic.”

The Meningitis Research Foundation said there are 3,500 cases of bacterial meningitis and septicaemia every year in the UK and Ireland.

One in ten people die from the disease, with a further two left with life-changing disabilities such as brain damage, deafness or multiple amputations.

Mrs Taylor paid tribute to the team at the John Radcliffe.

She said: “Everybody was absolutely amazing. The staff were wonderful. Herbie was very ill and they saved his life. We will always be extremely grateful.”