"They helped us so much in our time of need, and now we're going to help them."

The parents of a little girl who had lifesaving heart surgery at just nine days old are asking the nation to support The Sick Children’s Trust annual Pyjama Party after the charity gave them free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation.

When Amelia Ford, from Ripponden, was born she was struggling to breathe and at an hour old she went grey and became unresponsive. At just a few days old, it was discovered that Amelia had an issue with her heart and needed transferring to Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) for a lifesaving operation.

During her treatment at LGI, her parents, Charlotte and Nick Ford, were given free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation run by The Sick Children’s Trust. Mum Charlotte says:

“When we arrived at the LGI it was two in the morning and Amelia was scanned immediately. On the ward the following day, we were told by the nurse about Eckersley House, a ‘Home from Home’ run by The Sick Children’s Trust for parents with sick children in hospital, and that we’d been added to the waiting list.

“I never really slept well when Amelia was in the LGI but that house made such a bad situation into a much more bearable one. The staff were always so friendly, and also had the experience to know when you may need to talk or be left alone.

“At just nine days old, Amelia had life-saving heart surgery. We were very lucky that Amelia came through her heart surgery and out of intensive care and high dependency so quickly. She shocked everyone!”

Nearly two years on, Amelia is doing really well and hitting all her milestones despite her dramatic start to life. Charlotte and Nick are calling on the nation to help raise funds for The Sick Children’s Trust by getting involved with its Pyjama Party. Pyjama Party is a fun filled day where children are sponsored to come to nursery or playgroup dressed in their favourite pyjamas and take part in various activities. Charlotte continues:

“The Sick Children’s Trust is such an amazing charity and I cannot thank them enough for all of their hard work to run such a great place for parents like us. They helped us so much in our time of need and I will be forever grateful.”

The Sick Children’s Trust runs ten ‘Homes from Home’, three of which are located in Yorkshire. Eckersley House Manager, Jane, says:

“As a charity we solely rely on voluntary donations to support families with seriously ill children. It costs The Sick Children’s Trust around £30 to support a family for one night, so by getting involved in the Pyjama Party and raising money will go a long way in helping families like Charlotte and Nick’s stay closed to their loved ones.”

The Sick Children’s Trust’s Pyjama Party takes place from Monday 17 October to Friday 21 October. For more information on The Sick Children’s Trust’s Pyjama Party, please visit: http://bit.ly/2bpm0ls or email fundraising@sickchildrentrust.org.