WHEN baby Ellie Smith was rushed to intensive care in the back of an ambulance, her parents did not know whether she would be alive when they got there.

Sarah and Ian, of Melrosegate, York, had been warned that the chances were that their six-week-old daughter, who weighed only 6lb, would not survive the septicaemia that was attacking her body.

They told their son, Chris, that his beloved little sister would probably not be coming home, then followed the ambulance from York Hospital to Leeds General Infirmary.

Sarah, 36, said it was a heart-wrenching journey being torn between her children.

"I just wanted to split myself in two; I wanted to give part of me to Chris to give him a hug and part of me to follow Ellie to Leeds."

Ellie was stabilised on York Hospital's children's ward while medics tried to increase her temperature under a heater. She was also given a blood transfusion.

"An intensive care team came over from Leeds and there were so many people in the room with Ellie.

"We kept popping in but I remember standing in the corridor, sobbing.

"We asked if she would be all right and honestly expected the doctor to say yes, but we were told to prepare ourselves for the worst. It was very hard to take in. I remember sitting on the bed shaking.

"We couldn't fit in the ambulance with her because of all the equipment and staff in there so we followed in a car behind, not knowing whether she would be alive when we got there."

In Leeds, Sarah and Ian were told to prepare for the worst again, when Ellie underwent surgery to check for a twisted bowel.

"We were told if she had it then she wouldn't survive and in the same breath that she probably wouldn't survive the operation.

"When she came through it, one of the doctors said 'she may be small but she's a tough little cookie.'"

Ellie was treated in Leeds for ten days, before being transferred back to York.

Now aged three-and-a-half, she has no memory of the illness that rocked her parents' world.

Sarah said: "She's going to be either a ballerina or a stunt woman - she's full of life."

Ian, 38, said: "There seems to be a loophole for kids in York and if they are really ill they have to go to Leeds, Manchester or Newcastle.

"The staff in Leeds were great, but it was difficult being away from York.

"Ellie was so ill she would still have had to go to Leeds even if there had been a high-dependency unit in York, but it would be great if some families were spared the trauma."

Your donations so far

CHEQUES and postal orders have been flooding in to help our Guardian Angels appeal, but please keep them coming.

To make a donation, no matter how big or small, send cheques or postal orders made out to 'Evening Press Guardian Angels appeal', to Charlotte Percival, Newsroom, Evening Press, 76/86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN.

PLEASE do not send cash and PLEASE do not send donations to the hospital direct.

So far, people who have contributed to £2,020 in public donations include:

Mr & Mrs Turner, Penyghent Ave, York; J Hay, 17 Kimbermow, Wood Hill, Hull Road, York; Rev M Cooper, Fulford Road; Mrs A Gibson, Deighton; G M Gilbertson, Woodlands Grove, Stockton Lane; Anne Bedlington, Wilberfoss;

D & C A Robinson; A & M Brittain; D Haycock, Stockton Lane; K Unsworth, Sheriff Hutton; JR Hudson and JA Hudson; Derek Hunter Rowe, Shipton Road; Margaret Taylor

G Douglas, Wigginton; J Cosway; Mr & Mrs F Garbutt, Haxby; Miss J Farrar; P A Arrowsmith & R M Arrowsmith; Mrs E Sykes, Tadcaster; Judge & Mrs Roger Hall; Mr & Mrs P H Davies, Westwood Terrace; Mrs A Nuccoll; Mrs A & PD Locker; Mrs A M Stannard; J Gray; Mrs I Carlton; Mr TN & Mrs Margaret E Mason; Anthea Drive, York; BM Thuey; FB Woof and Mrs K M Woof; Mr NS and Mrs E Hopwood; Hilda Johnson; Mrs BB Richardson; J Holdsworth; Mr B Foster and Mrs PJ Foster; Mrs LM Wheatley, Stockton Lane, Heworth; Miss HM Baker, Redwood Drive, Haxby; Mrs V Priest, Edgware Road;

B & JV Dyson; DL Gatenby; Mrs A Olsen;

C G Dunmore; MC & D Richardson.

How we can help

IF YOU are holding a charity event, such as a coffee morning or sponsored walk, we can help you publicise it in two ways.

Let us know about it and we'll put something in the Evening Press, to make sure as many people as possible support your efforts.

Phone our newsdesk on 01904 653051 or email us at newsdesk@ycp.co.uk.

Click on the appeal icon on our home page, www.thisisyork.co.uk and you'll be led through to a section complete with a downloadable poster which you can use to generate more publicity.

What the appeal is for

OUR appeal aims to transform high-dependency paediatric care on York Hospital's children's ward.

By raising £300,000, we can improve life for the sickest children going into hospital and, where possible, ensure they can be treated in York.

Your money will fund two life-saving high-dependency rooms with new, specialised equipment. The unit would be the first of its kind in the region that could deal with youngsters arriving as emergencies.

Updated: 11:11 Wednesday, November 02, 2005