Gainsborough mum's appeal to give back to hospital she lived in for three months after daughter’s spine surgery

Kate Hewitt, 38 and her daughter Willow-Blue OShea.

Willow-Blue O’Shea, seven, was born with a rare genetic condition called Arid 1B Syndrome which has affected her development growing up.

She is non-verbal, autistic, deaf in one ear and has scoliosis - the curvature of her spine.

Last July, she had surgery on her spine, by having rods inserted in her back, to help straighten it out.

Kate Hewitt, 38 and her daughter Willow-Blue OShea, seven pictured with staff members on ward D34 at Queens Medical Centre .

She spent a month on the D34 ward after the surgery.

Mum Kate Hewitt, aged 38, said Willow-Blue could only have the treatment at Nottingham’s Queen Medical Centre for treatment due to the hospital’s specialisation in spinal surgery.

They have been back in the hospital for the last six weeks as Willow-Blue suffered from a severe infection in her spine.

She is undergoing a course of antibiotics and is expected to remain in hospital for at least two more weeks.

Ms Hewitt’s two other children, Kendra-Simone, 18 and Ruby-Jack, 13, are living at home while she helps look after Willow-Blue on the ward.

She wants £10,000 to give back to ward to provide facilities for parents while staying with their children in the hospital.

She said: “Each and every nurse on this ward are absolutely fantastic and I’ve been trying to think of a fitting way to give something back to them for everything they’ve done for my family.

“I have spent nearly three months here in total and the staff really get to know you and you get to know them during anxious and stressful times.

“I want to raise money for a comfortable area where parents can relax as much as possible without leaving the ward and also where they can do practical things such as laundry or storing food.

“Where parents can have access to phone chargers, toiletries and a simple meal or sofa if we come in with an emergency or at very short notice with our children.

“I have fibromyalgia, arthritis and I’m waiting on having knee replacements, so sleeping on a z-bed on the ward is not easy and is causing me a lot of pain and the stress aggravates it.

"Willow-Blue is also smiling and happy despite what she’s going through, she’s an absolute joy.

“If each parent and close family member can contribute and share this on social media and ask friends and family to do the same it won’t take long before we reach the target for them.”

To donate visit www.gofundme.com/f/1pn24u31tc