A SHIPLEY family are fundraising for the year to thank a charity that gave them a free place to stay near the hospital while their newborn son was critically ill.

Paul and Natasha Gibbs' son Ralph was born at Bradford Royal Infirmary in June last year and their lives were to be turned upside down when a lump was discovered on his neck.

The lump turned out to be a rare benign tumour of blood vessels and it was feared it would affect his breathing.

Within 24 hours of being allowed home, they were back in hospital as the lump had grown considerably, changed colour and little Ralph's breathing had become laboured.

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Now at Leeds Children's Hospital, the family learned that the tumour had started to bleed into itself with doctors struggling to stem the bleeding.

At its biggest the lump grew to the size of an orange and he was diagnosed with a rare malformation of blood vessels. With so few cases globally Ralph needed a tracheostomy to secure his airway while doctors worked out the best way to treat him.

During this traumatic time the family were never more than a stone’s throw away from the hospital as they were being supported by The Sick Children’s Trust’s "Home from Home" Eckersley House, which is just across the road from the children's hospital. The couple stayed there for the duration of Ralph's seven week hospital stay.

Paul, 38, a primary school teacher, said: “With Ralph’s condition constantly changing we never knew what to expect when we walked back onto the ward. It was like an endless nightmare.

“The doctors managed to stop the bleeding and stabilise Ralph, but while they tried their best to treat him he had another bleed, this time into his airway. We watched our baby stop breathing, go blue, and be rushed into surgery. We were told to take things hour by hour.

“Being able to stay at Eckersley House made everything so much easier and gave us one less thing to worry about in a very stressful situation. To have a safe, clean and comfortable place to rest, cook and enjoy a proper meal and shower made such an incredible difference. Having the phone connection straight to the ward was a massive physiological benefit and all of this helped us to come back stronger each day for Ralph.”

Now nine months old, Ralph’s treatment has been working well with the lump considerably reduced in size and the family are hoping to have his tracheostomy reversed in the coming months.

To thank The Sick Children’s Trust for its support, Paul and Natasha are organising a host of fundraising events throughout the year alongside their friends and family. From birthday fundraisers to bake sales at local schools, almost £2,000 has already been raised.

Paul added: “It was a huge support being so close to the ward and it’s unbelievably comforting not to worry about how you can get to the hospital and we wanted to give that support to more families. There were several people that wanted to help fundraise, so we decided to spread the events out for a whole year.”

While it is free for families to stay at one of The Sick Children’s Trust’s "Homes from Home" it does cost the charity £30 a night to support a family, and more than 3,500 families benefit from the charity's help across its ten homes each year.

Eckersley House Manager, Jane McHale, said: “No parent with a seriously ill child in hospital should have to worry about how they can be by their bedside and thanks to the generosity of supporters like Paul and Natasha, The Sick Children’s Trust will be able to keep more families together while their child is in hospital.

"We wish Paul and Natasha all the best with Ralph’s treatment and we can’t thank them enough for their support.”

More information about the family’s fundraising can be found on their Just Giving page at justgiving.com/fundraising/ralph-gibbs1.