A MOTHER whose baby suffered a collapsed lung after he was born seven weeks premature is to hold a fundraising night in support of those who helped the family.

Clare Nixon, 22, of Rosedale Crescent, in Shildon, gave birth to her son Kairon early on January 3 last year.

He was born with a weak immune system and then began to have spells where he could not breathe.

Kairon stopped breathing 13 times and was placed on a ventilator at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

The doctors found that the baby had a collapsed lung and bronchitis partly caused by an infection that he had picked from his four-year-old sister.

Miss Nixon said: “It was a very hard time. The hospital asked me to sign a form giving my consent that resuscitation should not be attempted and I refused to sign it.

“He was in the hospital’s paediatric intensive care unit. They were trying to get Kairon to breathe on his own, but he was too weak.

“Kairon was taken off the ventilator on February 6 and he was moved to Darlington Memorial Hospital where he stayed until February 14 (2013).

“When he came home it was a great Valentine’s Day present. He’s had other problems since then as his stomach hasn’t stretched and he finds it hard to gain weight.

“His immune system is still weak and weight gain will help boost that. Hopefully he’ll get better and will have no other problems.”

Miss Nixon and her mother, Susan Bourne, also of Rosedale Crescent, in Shildon, were helped by The Sick Children’s Trust.

The charity provided space at its Crawford House base, in Newcastle, for Miss Nixon and her mother to stay in while Kairon was in the RVI.

Miss Nixon is holding a fundraising night featuring music and comics at Shildon Civic Hall, Main Street, Shildon on Friday (February 21) in aid of the RVI’s paediatric intensive care unit and The Sick Children’s Trust.

It starts at 7pm with tickets on the door £4 for adults, £3 for under-12s and free to under-twos.