Based at Ward 3 of the Great North Children’s Hospital at the RVI in Newcastle, the Bubble Foundation saves the lives of babies and children born with defective immune systems.

Most children on Ward 3 are undergoing a bone marrow transplant. They will likely be on the ward for about 5 months, on a special bed with an air flow system which acts like a bubble. Access to their rooms is via an airlock and there are strict conditions to enter and once inside. A parent usually stays with their child, often sleeping on a camp bed in their room. Families come from all over central and northern England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, sometimes with very little notice. They are uprooted from their home lives, often leaving other children, a partner and their job hundreds of miles away, moving to an unknown city and challenging hospital conditions. It’s an incredibly stressful time.

Without a bone marrow transplant these babies and children will die. The NHS provides the medical care. The Bubble Foundation provides equipment and toys for the children and practical support for parents. We also fund vital research to improve diagnosis and treatment of the conditions. Research funded by the Bubble Foundation has led to survival rates of over 90%, up from about 50% over the last 20 years.