An 18-month-old South Australian boy has died from suspected meningococcal just hours after falling ill.
Mason Harvey Marks' family remembered the toddler as a "beautiful bubbly little boy" after his sudden death this week.
His aunt Racheal Byers set up a GoFundMe page to help Mason's parents Caitlyn and Ryan pay for the little boy's funeral expenses so they can focus on grieving for their son.
"We aim to give him the most beautiful and heart-felt goodbye. This little boy will forever hold a place in our hearts," said Racheal.
Racheal said Mason became ill and was rushed to Mannum Hospital on Sunday, where "the excellent team of doctors and nurses worked tirelessly to save his life".
"He was airlifted to RAH (Royal Adelaide Hospital) and transferred to Women's and Children's however lost his fight soon after," she said.
"No words can begin to describe the heartache and sorrow we are experiencing at the sudden loss of Mason Harvey.
"Mason was loved by all that knew him. He had a cheeky smile and an infectious laugh."
SA Health is awaiting tests results that will confirm whether Mason was killed by the disease. If the test returns as positive, he will be the fourth person to contract meningococcal in South Australia this year.
A South Australian vaccine study into herd immunity will commence soon in 238 schools, providing 61,496 students with the meningococcal B vaccine Bexsero for free.
A SA Health spokesperson said, "Our thoughts are with the child's family and we urge people to respect their privacy at this time."
Be aware of the signs of meningococcal in babies and toddlers - read them here.