A woman who lost her limbs to meningitis as a toddler doesn’t let her disability hold her back from searching for love – even after a recent break-up.

Jessica Haldin, 32, who says her dark humour keeps her going, contracted the deadly meningococcal septicaemia bug was she was two years old.

Doctors initially thought Jess had a cold, but when she broke out in a rash her parents rushed her to hospital.

After being placed in a coma, her limbs turned completely black, and doctors made the difficult decision to amputate both of her legs, left fingers, and right thumb.

Despite facing many challenges in life as a quadruple amputee, Jessica has always maintained a positive outlook – even after the break-up of her long-term relationship last year.

Jessica, who is unable to work due to her disability, from Perth, Western Australia said: ‘Everyone deserves to find the right person for them and experience love.

‘My disability doesn’t hold me back from dating, but I recently went through a break-up after a wonderful three-year relationship.

‘The relationship ended on mutual terms, and it had nothing to do with my disability. I definitely won’t give up on finding the one.

‘I’m looking for someone with a great sense of humour, but who’s also respectful. I’ve not dated someone with a disability, but I just go with the flow – it’s more about personality for me.’

Jess now uses a wheelchair, and spent a few years as a child in and out of hospital.

She said: ‘I remember waking up in the hospital after surgeries – I practically lived in the hospital for the first few years of my life.

‘Luckily when I was at school I wasn’t bullied and they did a lot to help fit things around my needs.’

She believes laughing is important – and it has kept her going, admitting that without her sense of humour she would ‘probably be depressed’.

Despite the challenges she has faced, Jess remains determined to date and find ‘true love again’.

Jess said: ‘Of course dating can be made harder with a disability but it’s a hurdle I’ll cross when I get there.

‘I don’t remember life with limbs, it just feels as if I was born this way.’

She has learned over the years to feed herself, and shower and dress independently.

And Jess is now able to experience some of things she has wanted to do for years, after receiving her own support worker, Tamlyn Macdonald, 41.

Since meeting Tamlyn, Jess has flown to Brisbane, visited the museum and zoo, and recently attended her first football game.

She said: ‘It was amazing, as soon as we left I was asking my support worker when we’d be able to go back again.

‘Finally being able to get out of the house more has been such a positive change for me.’

Jess will also be moving into her own purpose-built accessible home later this year, helping her gain even more independence.

She explained: ‘The house is being built by NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme), which is the disability service in Australia.

‘I had a house built after I first became an amputee but I’ve completely outgrown it now and it’s no longer accessible.’

The new house will be custom built for Jess, with flat doorways, a kitchen counter which moves up and down and an oven door which opens sideways.

Next, she’s hoping for a car, after a long 15-year battle to prove she can safely drive.

NDIS have now approved Jess’ application and will cover the $200,000 (£105,908) cost of the modifications, but she will have to purchase a car which is less than two years old first, so she is currently running a GoFundMe to raise $50,000 (£26,477) to buy a van that she can have modified.

She also runs her own TikTok and Facebook accounts where she shares her journey as a quad amputee and hopes to inspire others.

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