On the 9th of November 2016 our world as a family came crashing around us, Jamie was taken into hospital with the quite usual routine for him of a chest infection/croup as we sat at his bed side we watched him deteriorate life seemed to drain from his face treatment he was on wasn't working nurses came in and out and didn't seem to see what we could see, his belly was painfully swollen as if it would pop he just lay there unable to summon the energy to move.

Another nurse came in to check him the look on her face spoke to the greatest fear in my head and she called every available hand, she looked at me and told me " He's a very poorly little boy" my body went numb. Before I knew it he was being moved to another bed and prepared for cardiac arrest I turned around and behind me were so many people each asking me questions my mind was a blur it felt like a nightmare. an X-ray was brought in, a tube was put up his nose to drain his stomach blood came up straight away, an IV line in his arm he didn't even fight it, in his eyes you could see fear but he just lay there. In the background I could hear machines going crazy as his body was struggling to cope. I was even asked if I consented to surgery if he needed it to drain his stomach I just looked at the Dr in sheer disbelief how could this be happening to him! The X-ray was taken and as all the surgeons, consultants and Drs were talking in code I just sat there staring into there eyes for an answer that I could understand, then one Dr approached me and told me he had pneumonia and was a very ill and if he didn't start reacting to treatment very soon that they would have to sedate and ventilate him to stop further damage he was now going to be transferred onto critical care and monitored constantly, I was told to contact family because he was so poorly and the next few hours were critical to hear that statement said about your child I could never describe that to you in any words! The next few hours were just a blur of answering questions while trying not to take my eyes off his I tried not to cry and I put a smile on my face as Jamie tried to gage what was going on by his mummy's reactions so I had to be strong for him, inside I was lifeless stuck in my very own nightmare unable to wake myself up! Minutes turned into hours I watched as he sunk in and out of consciousness exhausted his tiny grey body covered in wires,machines beeping away I watched every number monitoring it that was all I could do, at the end of his bed sat a nurse who watched as I was the hope in her face as was in mine that he would get better each nurse that took over a shift or walked past gazed at my beautiful boy with hope and love. they would talk to me even though I wasn't giving much back they seemed to sympathise with my pain and talked to me asking all sorts of questions about him and what sort of things he liked, they found some common ground with me so I would talk more too. The next day the treatments seemed to be working Jamie had a glimmer back and was stealing the hearts of all the nurses they adored him and he had them wrapped around his finger In many ways they went above and beyond what was asked of them they genuinely cared it was more than just a job. As time went on he got better and better he was getting his cheekiness back he was tired and weak still not moving much but was talking which made the nurses melt even more with his cheekiness. Late afternoon on the 10th he had improved so much he was returned back onto jungle ward where the staff there were just as amazing coming over and chatting and caring more than asking the necessary questions,staying probably longer than they should have to chat it felt so homely in the strangest way, you felt like a family with them, they who were strangers only days before! I cannot thank them enough for being just the caring human beings that they are, I called them angels back then and I still stand by that now. they pulled us all out of the hardest period of our life and gave us back the Jamie Thomas we know and love.

Jamie is an Atopic child so suffers from allergies, eczema and asthma he has also been diagnosed with anaemia. Most days he is happy and carefree and people are often shocked to hear the struggles he faces because he takes it in his stride but Between the ambulance rushes, hospital admissions, clinic appointments, daily medication and having to keep him home resting sometimes. we do try to keep life as normal as possible for him so he doesn't feel any different from all his friends.

So why have I signed Jamie and I up for this fun walk because we want to give back into this amazing children's hospital that saved him, to change someone else's darkest day into a better one. It's something little on our part that could make a big difference every little amount counts.