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Clare Brown, 32, thought she just had a bad case of flu-like symptoms that would clear up on their own. But just days later Ms Brown, who was just 17 at the time, collapsed while at a

friend's house. She was rushed to hospital and put on life support - and she spent the next six months of her life in a coma in intensive care. Her family did not know if she would pull

through, and her doctors even got ready to turn off her life support machine. But incredibly, one of her pupils started dilating ever so slightly - and her family had a glimmer of hope.

THIS MORNING DISCUSS THE MENINGITIS B VACCINE > I had to learn to redo everything - it was like being a baby >  > Clare Brown They were overjoyed when Ms Brown started to come out

of the coma in September 2001 - but devastatingly for Clare, medics had to amputate both her legs in order to save her life.  Over the past 15 years Ms Brown has battled to get over her

meningitis - as well as learning to cope without her legs, she has had to learn to talk, eat and swallow from scratch. But now, Ms Brown is embracing her disability and has become an

ambassador and model for charity Models of Diversity - after her carer entered her into a competition for inspiring stories, which she won. CATERS Clare Brown thought she only had a flu but

then collapsed at her friend's house Mum-of-two Ms Brown, from Chichester, West Sussex, said: "I'd had some flu-like symptoms, like achey arms and legs, for a few days - but I

didn't think too much of it. "I was staying at a friend's house, when I collapsed on the way to the bathroom. "I don't really remember too much after that. "My

friend called my mum, Karen, and then we called an ambulance. "They said it was probably just a viral infection, but worth getting checked out - and from there it escalated quickly.

CATERS Ms Brown (right) spent six months of her life in a coma in intensive care "My family got a call at 3am to come into the hospital, because doctors didn't think I'd make

it through the night. "Three days later, my organs were shutting down - I was in a complete coma, and I stayed that way for six months.  "At one point doctors were going to turn my

life support machine off - but then one of my pupils started dilating, which got everyone's hopes up."  Ms Brown was a fighter - and despite undergoing a double amputation and a

stroke while she was in a coma, she slowly but surely began to come round.  She came out of the coma gradually, before eventually being transferred from intensive care to a high dependency

unit - and finally allowed to go home.  But Ms Brown needed round-the-clock care to help her adapt to her new lifestyle. She said: "I had to learn to redo everything - it was like being

a baby. "Even now, I still suffer - I don't remember a lot of what happened which is a blessing in a way, but it's still hard for my family. "I'm still in out and

of hospital even 15 years later - side effects of the stroke mean I have bad eyesight, get dizzy easily and my voice can get slurred." But despite everything she's been through, Ms

Brown was determined to turn her horrific ordeal into something positive.  CATERS Now Ms Brown is working as a model and ambassador for the charity Models of Diversity After her carer sent

her story into Models of Diversity, who campaign to see more models with disabilities on catwalks and in adverts, the charity's founder Angel Sinclair snapped her up. Now Ms Brown is

working as a model and ambassador for the charity.She said: "I'm over-the-moon to be involved with Models of Diversity. "When you're not a full-bodied person, you always

feel like you don't look good - you just feel ugly a lot of the time. "But thanks to Models of Diversity, I feel more confident and pretty. "I'm so excited to be a part

of it." Models of Diversity founder Angel said: "It's important that people with disabilities see themselves represented in fashion. "The UK are so far behind other

countries who use disabled models - most recently Tommy Hilfiger has brought out adaptive clothing for children with disabilities. "Models of Diversity calls on all High Street fashion

brands and retail outlets to employ models with disabilities."