On 29th July, our little boy Finn became critically unwell after suffering a prolonged febrile seizure.

His seizure lasted over 30 minutes and didn’t stop despite initial medication. He was rushed to Russells Hall Hospital, where he was taken into resus and placed into a medically induced coma and onto a ventilator so the doctors could safely treat him.

You never imagine you’ll be the family who needs that level of care for your child. Nothing can prepare you for seeing your baby so poorly, or for having to place everything in the hands of the people caring for them. In those moments, you are completely reliant on the knowledge, skill and care of the people around you. That night, we saw just how important the care at Russells Hall Hospital is, and it is something we will never forget.

Thanks to the incredible care Finn received from the paramedics, doctors, nurses and every single person involved in looking after him, we were able to bring our little boy home. He is doing so well now, and seeing him happy and back to being Finn means more to us than we could ever put into words. We will never be able to fully express how grateful we are to everyone who was there when he needed them most.

As Finn’s Mom and Dad, we wanted to do something positive after everything that happened. We could never repay the people who cared for our little boy, but raising money for Dudley Group NHS Charity is our way of giving something back and showing just how much their care meant to us.

Finn’s family also want to be involved in the fundraising. They were there with us that night and saw the incredible care, compassion and dedication shown to him. What happened affected our whole family, and being able to come together and give something back means a great deal to all of us.

The money we raise will support Dudley Group NHS Charity’s Children’s Appeal, helping children’s services across the Trust.

The Children’s Appeal supports the Children’s Ward, Children’s Outpatients, outdoor play spaces, surgical services, the Neonatal Unit, Paediatric Emergency Department and theatres — all areas that play such an important part in caring for children and their families when they need it most.

After experiencing that care ourselves with Finn, we know just how important these services, staff and resources are.

The care Finn received helped save his life, and raising this money is our way of saying thank you and helping the charity continue to support the Trust and its patients.

If the money we raise can help provide the care, equipment or resources needed to help save another child, support another family, or make an incredibly difficult time that little bit easier, then it will mean more to us than we can put into words.

There is absolutely no expectation to donate, but if you would like to support our fundraiser, any amount, big or small, would genuinely mean so much to us.

This fundraising page is just the beginning for us. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be organising other fundraising events with our family, all with the same aim — giving something back to the charity and hospital that helped save Finn’s life and helping them continue to be there for other children and families when they need them most.

Ruby, Jordan & Finn