Mum whose baby had heart surgery at six weeks old raises £500 for Sick Children's Trust at North East nursing home

Residents and staff at Church View Nursing Home, Stockton-On-Tees, spent a day in their pyjamas to raise £500 for The Sick Children’s Trust.

Jody Hardy, 32, who works at the nursing home, organised the Pyjama Party after being supported by the charity. Last year, Jody’s six-week-old baby, Lennon, was admitted to Newcastle upon Tyne’s Freeman Hospital when doctors at North Tees Hospital discovered he had a narrowing aorta and a dangerously high heart rate and blood pressure. In order to save his life, Lennon required immediate open heart surgery. Following a successful operation he was taken to intensive care to recover. During this time, Jody was supported with free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation at Scott House, run by The Sick Children’s Trust. Jody, who stayed at Scott House with her mum for four days until Lennon was discharged, says:

“I have never felt so scared and helpless in my life. Lennon’s doctor, Mr Hassan, filled us with confidence and now Lennon is a very happy one year old. I can’t thank the team at Freeman Hospital enough for all they did.

“Freeman Hospital is an hour drive away from our home, so when we were told that we could have a room at Scott House, I thought I was dreaming! It was amazing; there was a phone beside my bed if the doctors needed to call me. I don’t know what I would have done without Scott House. I am so grateful to everyone who fundraises for The Sick Children’s Trust as without them; Scott House wouldn’t be there, hence why I got involved with the charity’s Pyjama Party campaign.

“We had a great day at work, our residents and their families thoroughly enjoyed it and they were so generous and keen to help The Sick Children’s Trust. I could not have done the Pyjama Party without the enthusiasm and help from my work colleagues and management. They were all amazing! I’d like to thank Doctor Chawla, the owner of the home, our manager Denise McPhee and my work colleagues Janine, Isabel and Linda for their support.”

The Sick Children’s Trust runs ten ‘Homes from Home’ across the country supporting specialist children’s hospitals. The charity gives families with seriously ill children free accommodation located just minutes away from their child’s bedside. Scott House Manager, Andrew Leadbitter, says:

“It’s wonderful to hear how well Lennon is doing now, almost a year on from his operation. We are so grateful to Jody and everyone at Church View Nursing Home for joining in with the Pyjama Party and raising such a huge amount of money.

“It costs the charity £30 to support a family for one night in our ‘Home from Home’ accommodation and we completely rely on voluntary donations. The money raised by everyone at Church View Nursing Home will help support more families who need to stay close to their loved ones.”

For more information on The Sick Children’s Trust, please visit: www.sickchildrenstrust.org