We are raising funds for the Sick Children's Trust, a charity that helped our small family during the most unimaginably difficult time.

Our story begins on the 10th November 2021, when our son Ivan was born at Jessops Ward in Sheffield. Our pregnancy was full of ups and downs, and when he was first born we had two blissfully happy days in hospital soaking in the relief Ivan was alive and well before everything came crashing down around us. As we were getting ready to leave hospital the doctor did a final check on Ivan as he had jaundice, and heard a heart murmur they hadn't heard on his baby check. After a quick scan we were sat down by a consultant and told our beautiful baby had a congenital heart condition called a coarctation of the aorta. This is life threatening, as his aorta which feeds blood to his lower body was very narrow.

The rest of that day was a blur. We were rushed down to NICU to fit a drip and then into an ambulance before being whizzed up the M1 to Leeds General Infirmary where Ivan would be treated and operated on.

We didn't eat much that day, we had barely slept, just running on adrenaline. We never thought that day about where we would stay or about how long we were going to be in Leeds, we just knew we wanted to spend as much time as we could by Ivan's side to help him through this.

We ended up spending seven weeks at Leeds General Infirmary, as Ivan had sepsis before his operation which needed treatment. What we envisaged being a few days became weeks, and we could not have been by Ivan's side every step of the way if it hadn't been for Eckersley House, a charity accommodation run by the Sick Children's Trust.

Eckersley House gave us a room five minutes from Ivan's bed, a base so we could be there at a moment's notice. We could arrive early and leave late without the added exhaustion of driving. They sorted us essentials like shampoo and toothpaste - I had only packed miniatures in my hospital bag not thinking we would need more. This helped so much in those first few days when we were frightened to leave his bed. The last thing on our minds was to go buy toiletries. 

The room came with a box of homemade cakes which gave us energy in those hours where we forgot to eat, let alone cook.

The staff were incredibly kind, always a smiling face to cheer you up if you saw them. They regularly helped us by moving our laundry into the dryer. This seemingly small task meant leaving Ivan, so their kindness was so greatly appreciated.

At Eckersley House we met other parents and learnt their stories and the difficult situations they and their children were facing, and it quickly become clear how important Eckersley House is. It helps parents dealing with the most awful times by giving them time to be together with their children.

We were so lucky to have support from Eckersley House and we hope to raise money to support another family going through the unimaginable.

Accommodation at Eckersley and other Sick Children's Trust houses is offered for free for parents for as long as they need it, but they need funds to run. To clean the space, look after reception, coordinate guests and so much more. A month's stay in a room costs the trust £900.

Any donation you make will make a huge difference to a family like ours