A MUM whose 11-year-old daughter died from a rare illness is raising funds to buy special suits to help other child intensive care patients keep their dignity.

Farah Ali was so grateful for taking part in a trial of the suits when her daughter Hafsah was desperately ill in a hospital bed that she wants to raise money so other families can benefit from them.

The dignity suits mean that patients can stay covered at all times which Mrs Ali said was particularly important for her as a parent.

Hafsah, a pupil at Bowling Park Primary School, Bradford, was given only seven hours to live when doctors admitted her to Leeds General Infirmary in July, diagnosing her with HLH, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, a cell-malfunctioning condition that was shutting down her body but she amazed them by surviving another month.

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Doctors tried treating her with cancer drugs and putting her into a controlled coma with her devoted mum Farah Ali and dad Bilal Azeem constantly by her side in an isolation room.

Despite their best efforts, Hafsah died last August leaving her family devastated and teachers and friends at her school in deep shock.

Mrs Ali said: "The suits are still a new idea and are being tried out by some hospitals including Leeds but I think every hospital's ICU should use them, for adults as well.

"Keeping dignity is so important for patients and for their families. They are so much better than the old-type backless gowns."

Hafsah's mum was so impressed with the first suit that she contacted the makers in Derbyshire to get more and after mentioning Hafsah was a passionate fan of Liverpool Football Club, the small business got in touch with the club which sent a goalkeeper's jersey to be adapted.

Mrs Ali said: "We were trying everything to get a response from Hafsah. She loved football and the Liverpool team. Being able to use these suits helped us a lot and we hope by raising money we will be able to buy more to donate to the paediatric intensive care unit at Leeds General Infirmary which looked after Hafsah so well and did their best for her."

Bev Ward, who came up with the idea for the suits and runs a small home-grown business in Derbyshire, said more and more hospitals have them now including Great Ormond Street in London.

To make a donation towards the dignity gowns in Hafsah's memory send a cheque made out to Leeds Teaching Hospitals Charitable Foundation and send to: In Memory of Hafsah, The Charitable Foundation Office, Ground Floor, Trust Headquarters, St James's University Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds, LS9 7TF.

Gowns bought from the fundraising will all carry an H design on them.

A plaque with Hafsah's photograph has also been placed at the entrance of her school where head teacher Stuart Herrington has so far raised almost £3,000 sponsorship to run the Paris Marathon for her later this year.

The money will go to Candlelighters, the charity which has been helping Hafsah's family, with a goal of raising £4,000 after smashing his original target of £2,620 - £100 for every mile of the marathon.

Anyone who wants to sponsor him should go to justgiving.com/owner-email/pleasesponsor/Stuart-Herrington.