£35000 gift of hope for sick youngsters at York hospital

Months of tireless fundraising by our readers are today starting to bear fruit as we give the first £35,000 to York Hospital children's ward for our joint Guardian Angels appeal.

The money is being used to fund a nurse who will oversee the project to give children arriving as emergencies high-dependency care in York.

That will mean more children can be looked after in York rather than being transferred to Leeds, or even further afield, and ensure that all sick children are looked after to the highest standards.

Jill Crampton, matron of children's services at York Hospital, said: "It's really exciting, because it actually starts giving the message that it's going to happen.

"It's been wonderful over the past few months to see the interest and money that has been raised. It's making it real all of a sudden.

"Some children will be able to be monitored here for longer and avoid intensive care. That would be a good thing because it keeps their care local.

"They'll get safe care because we can provide it within the facilities we are developing. You're not going elsewhere - that's a nightmare for parents."

Last October, we launched our appeal to raise £300,000 to fund a high dependency unit on York Hospital's children's ward.

Since then, we have been overwhelmed with support from readers who have rallied round to raise thousands for our cause.

So far, a huge £77,000 has been raised.

Today, we are handing over £35,000, so the hospital can start work to the project.

The money is being used to employ a Guardian Angels project nurse who will be in post for two years, for two days a week, starting from October 1.

Jill explained the nurse would be in charge of co-ordinating the work that needed to be done to create the new unit.

That will involve being specially trained in how to look after high-dependency care for children, and making sure staff at the hospital also receive the appropriate training.

It will mean that for every hour of the day, a nurse will be on duty who will have the necessary skills to care for high-dependency children to the highest standards possible in the new unit.

"In a high-dependency unit, a child who is very ill can't tell you things," explained Jill. "A nurse has to be experienced enough and qualified enough to be alert to that."

The new nurse will also have the job of looking at what equipment the new unit will need - such as a ventilator to help children with breathing difficulties.

At the moment, the children's ward at York Hospital does not have a machine to help children aged more than one to breathe.

Children who need high-dependency care at the hospital currently use a room opposite the nurses' station.

Monitors and equipment are brought in from elsewhere, and nurses try to stabilise them.

If they need intensive care, they are taken to an operating theatre block or to accident and emergency unit to await a transfer to Leeds.

Robin Ball, a consultant paediatrician at York Hospital, said it was "great news" a project nurse could now be funded for the scheme out of the money raised so far.

"We've interviewed and are appointing an excellent project nurse," he said.

"Now we can make a real start on this important work."

Now the hospital plans to use the next round of funding - when it is available - to buy the ventilators and monitors to go in the new unit.

Francine Clee, assistant editor of The Press, said: "This is a real landmark for our Guardian Angels appeal.

"We are enormously grateful to our readers who have really pulled out all the stops to raise thousands for the cause.

"But the fundraising doesn't stop here.

"We still have lots more money to raise, and we today appeal to our generous readers to carry on with the excellent work they have already started.

"This new high-dependency unit will save lives.

"It's up to all of us to make it happen."

It's really encouraging

When we launched our Guardian Angels appeal back in October, we featured the story of little Lucy Ruddle, of Murton.

Lucy, now two, was only four months old when she had a frightening lung condition bronchiolitis.

Doctors in York feared she might need intensive care 28 miles away in Leeds, but luckily she stabilised and was able to stay where she was.

At the time, Lucy's mum, Tracey, a nurse at York Hospital's children's ward, said how grateful she was her daughter was able to stay in York.

Today, she welcomed the news high-dependency care in the ward had come a step closer as we handed over the first of the money our readers have raised.

"It's a chance to see in action what all the hard work and money has gone towards," she said. "It's really encouraging. It's a really large amount of money. I didn't think it would be so soon that we actually saw some money.

"It's going to mean one less worry in what is an anxious time. If you know you've not got to change hospital, it limits the stress factor if you can stay in York."