Little Alex Patterson died at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge on April 13, just 30 hours after he first began to show signs of being ill. After a day playing in the park with his parents Sam and Jim, and big brother Callum, right, Alex began to be sick. At around 10pm, his parents noticed a few spots on his skin. Mr Patterson immediately ran a glass over the spots and they failed to disappear - a sign of meningitis. Alex was rushed to hospital where medics diagnosed him with meningitis B. His mother said: 'We called an ambulance and told them we suspected meningitis. But even at that point I didn't actually believe Alex had meningitis, it is not something that happens to you...Meningitis is thankfully very rare,' she said. 'But it does happen and it has happened to us. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to protect children against this disease, this indiscriminate, cruel disease. I want to encourage every parent to take this opportunity, make sure your babies are vaccinated.'

Julia Kozerski, from Brookfield, Wisconsin, lost 160 pounds after getting married, but found that her incredible transformation didn't turn her into the 'perfect' person that she had hoped it would. As a way of expressing her emotions, she began to take powerful self-portraits to show her physical and mental struggles.

Baby Evie belongs to one of the most exclusive clubs in the world. Her Victorian mother Jodie Wyers, left infertile after cancer treatment, is only the second woman in the world to have given birth after her ovarian tissue was grafted into her abdominal and pelvic walls. Jodie and her husband Aden welcomed their 'miracle' daughter in May, almost six years after Jodie was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer.

Amethyst Santos, from Manila in the Philippines, was born with her lower lip attached to the base of her mouth, her upper and lower jawbones fused and an underdeveloped lower jaw. She suffers from oromandibular limb hypogenesis syndrome. Pictured (right) before the operation to open her mouth and after (inset). Amethyst her parents Estrellita and Rolando (right) have helped Amethyst flourish. Amethyst was also born with no hands and feet, but has learned to walk, play with her two older sisters - and now she can even smile.

Bli Bli mother-of-three, Corissa Macklin-Rice (pictured above), 43, claims to be clear of an aggressive form of breast cancer after choosing to forego traditional treatment in favour of a controversial 'natural' treatment plan. After a double mastectomy surgery, Ms Macklin-Rice became a plant-based vegan and started drinking 13 juices a day and doing five 45-minute-long coffee enemas. She also made her own black salve ointment to draw some recurrent cancerous lumps out of her skin - a cream that is illegal to buy and sell in Australia. Experts say there is no evidence to support her claims and suggest her decision to forego conventional treatment leaves her at greater risk of a recurrence later on.

Tyrone Bowd, 25, from Willowbank, Australia, suffers from scrotal lymphedema - a condition that caused one of his testicles to become abnormally large (pictured left and right). In the past two years his scrotum has swelled from the size of a mango to the size of a watermelon. The enlarged testicle makes it difficult for Mr Bowd to walk, and he has been repeatedly hospitalised with a bacterial infection as a result of it. His mother, Tanya, is raising money to get her son treatment in California, USA, which will allow him to lead a normal life again. But the family, from Willowbank, Australia, is yet to reach the $100,000 (£64,888) needed for the travel and treatment. Mrs Bowd hopes the surgery will help her son lead a normal life again. She said: 'The scrotum is getting so big that he must be in a lot of pain. We just want Tyrone to get better. We want our Tyrone back.'

Danielle Haines of Phoenix, Arizona, a new mother in her 30s, was snapped by one of her seven sisters at home, three days after giving birth to her son Ocean in November 2013, crying and holding her son to her bare bosom. Last week, she decided to post the photo to her personal Facebook, explaining why she was glad her sister had taken the photo.

Kate Dixon, 18, from Watford, Hertfordshire (pictured left), has narcolepsy and has to schedule three half-an-hour naps during the day to prevent herself from spontaneously snoozing. She falls asleep in taxis on the way to nightclubs, in the staff room at work and on friends' shoulders when they meet up for coffee. Her friends, boyfriend and colleagues have built up a catalogue of photographs of her asleep (pictured right) in various locations and positions - including with crisps on her nose (inset). But luckily, Miss Dixon can see the funny side. She said: 'My friends and family are used to my condition, but I don't think they will ever get bored of taking sneaky photographs of me when I fall asleep in funny places'

Sadie Cratchley, 20, and her husband Marc, 27, from Somerset were warned their unborn daughter had one per cent chance of surviving when she went into labour at 23 weeks. The couple said doctors asked if they wanted them to try and save her, warning she was unlikely to survive. But Mr and Mrs Cratchley refused to give up on their unborn baby girl. Tiny Kaci-Rose Cratchley was born at 23 weeks and weighed just 1lb 2oz - half the weight of a bag of sugar. Despite the odds, she is now a healthy eight-month-old, weighing 8olbs - the same as the average newborn. Mrs Cratchley said: 'To other parents that are faced with decisions like this. As horrible as it is you must fight for your baby and let them have the chance. Kaci-Rose has proved that it can go well.'

Lee Cuggy, 40, a beauty salon owner from Neath, is proud of her toned upper arms - but isn't about to give up her pinot grigio for them. She believes that exercise makes up for an extra glass of wine.

BMI is the most widely used method for assessing a person's weight - but is it becoming less effective? People can have a normal BMI yet still be at risk of disease - or be 'overweight' but not look it. These four people are deemed to be overweight by the NHS as they have a BMI of 27 or over. From left: Michaela Britton, 27, Olly Clark, 30, Mandy Harrow, 55, and Rachael Gallagher, 31.

Created for Brazilian pediatric organization SPRS, the startling ads show infants suckling from breasts illustrated with unhealthy treats. The awareness campaign is meant to improve maternal health by showing mothers the harmful effects their poor diets can have on their young children.

Marc Cunliffe, 36, from Blackburn, Lancashire, began suffering agonising stomach pains following an a gallbladder operation (pictured right). But when he went to Royal Blackburn Hospital's A&E; he was told it was 'wind' and he should go home and get eight hours sleep. After a two-hour nap he went back to the hospital, only to discover he had two pints of blood in his stomach. He was rushed for 'life-saving' emergency surgery to drain the fluid. He has now launched a complaint with East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, fearing he could have died had he followed the hospital's advice (he is pictured, left). He said: 'The whole ordeal has left me having panic attacks and I am dreading going back to work - I've been in once and I had to be sent home in a car. It's really affected me.'

Rosannah Searle, two, from regional NSW, was diagnosed with stage three neuroblastoma at just three months old. The soccer ball sized tumour in her stomach (left) protruded and strangers would say she looked 'pregnant' and comment on her appetite. She has undergone eight rounds of chemotherapy and doctors say surgery isn't an option as it is too dangerous.

Emma Kirke, 38, of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was diagnosed with cancer in her right breast in September 2014 and was determined not to 'become a victim'. After undergoing a double mastectomy in February 2015, Mrs Kirke decided to pose for a photo shoot, as a way of helping herself and other post-mastectomy patients feel good about themselves (she is pictured in the shoot, right, centre and left). In the photographs she had only had one of the four procedures she would need to reconstruct her breasts. While staying strong and keeping positive helped her to cope with her treatment, some of her friends branded her selfish for not allowing herself - or others - to grieve. Mrs Kirke, of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, said: 'I didn't want to become a victim, or feel sorry for myself. A friend said I was being selfish at some points, because I wasn't allowing people to be upset. She found it difficult to be around me. But being negative wasn't going to help me get through it.'

Laura and Steven Monks, both 35 and from Hyde, Greater Manchester, left on their big day, tied the knot in a hotel ceremony - all paid for by the kindness of strangers. The couple, who were friends for ten years before they got together, put their wedding plans on hold and started saving up to buy a house, but last October the pair were left dumbfounded when Steven, pictured, bottom right, with his groomsmen, was diagnosed with stage three bowel and liver cancer. The kitchen fitter had an operation to remove his bowel and started chemotherapy straightaway, but in April this year doctors told the couple that Steven's condition is terminal.