Bradford police officer launches fund for baby daughter Isabella (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bradford police officer launches fund for baby daughter Isabella

9:00am Wednesday 3rd October 2012 in News

A Bradford police officer, whose baby daughter died after suffering an infection of the lungs, is taking part in a charity walk to raise funds and awareness of the condition which claimed her life.

PC Ryan Senior, 30, a Bradford South officer who works in CID at Trafalgar House, will be joined by colleagues for the 26-mile trek from Leeds to Skipton on Friday.

PC Senior and his 30-year-old bank worker wife, Lyndsey, have begun an awareness campaign after their first child, Isabella Grace, died earlier this year, aged just two and a half months.

Isabella developed bronchiolitis, an inflammation and blockage of the small airways in babies’ lungs, due to a virus.

She was born six weeks prematurely last November, but was progressing well, until becoming poorly three days before Christmas.

Isabella died in February, despite the care of staff at the children’s paediatric intensive care unit at Leeds General Infirmary, after suffering a collapsed lung five times and having to be resuscitated twice.

The devastated couple have set up the Isabella Grace Fund to increase awareness of bronchiolitis and raise £50,000 for a ventilator for the hospital’s paediatric intensive care unit.

PC Senior said: “We had never come across bronchiolitis until Isabella was first taken into hospital. Sadly, we now know all too much about it. As parents we have made it our aim to try and make sure other parents know about it.

“We assumed Isabella would be all right and she would come home. Never did we envisage, when our child was diagnosed, that it would eventually take her life.

“There are various degrees of the virus. Sadly for us, Isabella got probably the most serious strain.”

Symptoms can include a rasping dry cough, wheeziness and excessive beating of the heart. Some are similar to an ordinary cold.

PC Senior said: “We don’t want to cause hysteria. A lot of the time it probably just is a cold. But if a parent is in any doubt, we would encourage them to seek immediate medical advice or attention.”

He said parents needed to be aware bronchiolitis can take a child’s life.

“We cannot think Isabella came and went for no particular reason. We promised her that her legacy would live on to ensure no other parents go through the heartbreak we have, and still go through, on a day to day basis.”

More than 30 police officers and staff from Bradford South will be taking part in Friday’s walk along the canal towpath from Armley in Leeds to the Bay Horse at Skipton.

Other fundraising events are being organised, including an Isabella Starry Night, featuring Billy Pearce and hypnotist Grant Saunders, at the Frontier club in Batley in November.

PC Senior said: “The support we have received from people we have never met has been overwhelming.”

Anyone who wishes to donate money can do so through Isabella’s website, isabellagrace.org.uk.