SMILING AGAIN: Sharmaine Lee plays with her aunt, MsCecilia Koh, and younger sister Felicia, six. She has recovered from HFMD, which had caused encephalitis and threatened brain damage. -- ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG

It was touch and go at one point, with her family keeping vigil by her hospital bed.

She was the worst-hit victim of the disease this year - the virus caused encephalitis, or inflammation of her brain lining.

The risk of brain damage was ever-present and the girl went from being a cheerful child to one who was prone to fits of anger at times. Sometimes, she would stare ahead blankly at others.

But all that is over and Sharmaine is almost back to normal, with no signs of brain damage, said her aunt, Ms Cecilia Koh.

Sharmaine was diagnosed with HFMD early last month. A week later, she took a turn for the worse and developed encephalitis.

She was rushed to KK Women's and Children's Hospital and spent two weeks there before being discharged.

While at home, Sharmaine became very 'clingy', hanging on to adults by their clothes and following them around the house.

But she gradually got better and, after two weeks at home, she was back in school to the delight of her Primary 2 classmates at Radin Mas Primary.

They had made a giant get-well card for her while she was in hospital.

Although hers was the most serious case of HFMD in Singapore this year, it did not result from the EV71 virus, said the Health Ministry.

SALMA KHALIK