A FATHER has movingly spoken of the moment he and his wife found out their newborn baby was critically ill and had Down’s Syndrome.

Mark Ramshaw, of Ingleby Barwick, has told his family’s moving story in order to support a new charity campaign to help other parents with very poorly children who must stay at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) for sometimes, weeks at a time.

Mark and Sarah Ramshaw’s son, William was born last September at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton. Just an hour later the ecstatic new parents realised something was badly wrong.

Mr Ramshaw explained they were told their baby had Down’s but also a malformed rectum and breathing problems. He was to be rushed to Newcastle’s RVI for emergency surgery.

“I remember grabbing on to a chair, feeling as if someone had pulled the world out from beneath my feet,” said Mr Ramshaw. “Our heads were spinning. The staff at North Tees told us they had arranged accommodation nearby for us, and when we arrived, while William was in the operating theatre, we were taken to ‘the house’ where we had been told we could stay.

“We had just handed over our newborn baby to the surgeons and we were anxious and tearful when we arrived at The Sick Children’s Trust’s Crawford House. We had no belongings. We hadn’t thought about our needs for a moment in those whirlwind hours. But we need not have worried. We were met by warm, friendly faces and assured that we would be looked after.”

Mr Ramshaw said the couple stayed at Crawford House in Newcastle for three weeks. They were allowed home with William in October but have had to go up for stays twice since for other critical surgery.

They have told their story to support The Sick Children’s Trust’s new campaign called Pyjama Party. Pyjama Party is a fun day where children are sponsored to come to nursery or playgroup dressed in pyjamas and take part in various activities. The Sick Children’s Trust runs two homes for families across the region going through trauma like the Ramshaws. Find out more at www.sickchildrenstrust.org