A woman who lost her legs and fingers after contracting meningitis has paid tribute to a friend who has had a pioneering double hand transplant.

Quadruple amputee Corinne Hutton, from Lochwinnoch, went through a 12-hour procedure at Leeds General Infirmary five years after contracting the deadly disease which almost killed her.

Tracy Ralph, 37, from Hawkwell became friends with Ms Hutton after receiving support from her as she recovered life-threatening condition which resulted in the loss of her legs and fingers four years ago this week. Despite her own condition, Ms Hutton travelled from Scotland to offer comfort and support to the mum of two who has since forged a friendship with her.

Tracy said: “We are friends. She helped me a lot in the beginning. She’s so inspiring. I’m so pleased for her.

“It’s very sad someone lost their life but it emphasises how far the medical world has come and how important that everyone who would like to be a donor registers. It highlights how important it is to do that.

“She will be able to hold her son’s hand. It will make her life a lot easier. I’m lucky that I have my thumbs and she hasn’t.

“She is so inspiring and has accomplished so many things. I’m exited to see what she will do next. She’s already climbed Kilimanjaro so what will she do next?”

Tracy added: “I think she is the first lady to have it done. I know a man had it done but I don’t think a woman has had this operation before.

“The recovery process will take months. It will be hard for her because there will be things she won’t be able to do herself like putting on her prosthetic legs, but she’s very strong and will get through it.”

Tracy Ralph, 37, from Hawkwell, was rushed into hospital on Christmas Eve in 2014 with suspected pneumonia.

Within 24 hours doctors placed her in an induced coma as they battled to save her life.

She contracted septicaemia, battled blood clots, a bleed on the brain and complete organ failure with doctors forced to amputate her legs and fingers.

Moved by Tracy’s plight Echo readers donated in their hundreds to an appeal to raise money for prosthetic legs and to help adapt Tracy’s family home..

Tracy, who lives in Hawkwell with her husband and two young sons faced an uphill battle to recover from her terrible ordeal but is now back to her old self. She has learned to walk again and spends some of her time as a charity volunteer.

She said: “Mentally and physically I’m really well now. I practise meditation and wellbeing and that’s really helped.

“I don’t have any more medical treatment now but just have visits to the local prosthetic centre at Harold Wood. My family are all happy and healthy and we’re all good.”

Campaigner Corinne Hutton lost her hands and feet in 2013 after suffering acute pneumonia and sepsis, which nearly killed her.

After the operation, Ms Hutton thanked her medical team and said: “I’ve got hands, they look exactly like mine. They look amazing.

“I’ve got fingers, and they can move - I shouldn’t be doing that right enough, but it’s absolutely incredible. I’m so thrilled.”

A message on the Finding Your Feet Facebook page added: “All of this happened on the anniversary of this beautiful community she created out of tragedy. You could call it fate.”

Medics had been working to find suitable hands that were a match for the former businesswoman, who has campaigned to help raise awareness of organ and limb donation.

After more than a dozen false alarms over the years, she was informed that a match for her own blood group, skin tone and hand size had been found and te the surgery took place at a hospital in west Yorkshire on Monday last week.