Benson was born at 30 weeks gestation at York Hospital. He was unable to breathe on his own so was quickly taken to Hull NICU to continue his care.

In Hull, Benson was diagnosed with some complex health needs. Benson was incredibly strong, he battled many health issues and two surgeries on his brain but sadly he grew tired and could no longer battle on. We lost him in our arms on Monday 22nd July 2024.

We had an incredible 11 weeks with our boy, and we made some wonderful memories of him. Our time in the hospital was made bearable thanks to the help and support of all of the staff on the NICU ward. The care and compassion of the whole team was incredible and we could not have got through this without them.

WISHH, the official charity of Hull Hospitals has launched its annual appeal, ‘Space to Grow’ to raise £100,000 to enhance the facilities of Hull’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which will complement the Hospital Trust’s expansion of the unit by 5 cots. Through the appeal, funds raised will enable WISHH to create:

A sensory room – to enable babies to learn and develop new connections in their brain through light and sound stimulation.

Development of siblings’ facilities – to enable siblings to play whilst families visit, helping to alleviate the stress parents are already going through.

Enhancement of the current parents’ facilities - to create a parents ‘Haven’ to allow them to discuss sensitive issues in a calming environment, whilst also allowing them space to gather their thoughts.

Creation of a staff training facility – to create a fresh and contemporary learning environment for neonatal staff.