Chester’s family and friends have dedicated to fundraising for Sheffield Children's

In June 2021, six-week-old Chester Smithson suffered a respiratory arrest.

Mum Amy said: “We had taken Chester to our local hospital three times, but we’d been sent home. One morning he really wasn’t well and my husband was having an MRI scan at the hospital, so we both went with him so I could take Chester to A&E again.

“When we got there and got him out of the car, we pulled his hood back and he was dark blue, bleeding from the nose, foaming at the mouth and not breathing. We ran into hospital screaming ‘my baby’s not breathing’.”

After being resuscitated at their local hospital, Chester, from Mirfield in West Yorkshire, was ventilated and put into an induced coma. He underwent a CT scan to monitor his brain function and was then transferred to Sheffield Children’s by road with the Embrace Ambulance Service.

The service provides a highly specialist, round-the-clock transport service for critically ill infants and children in Yorkshire and Humber who require care in another hospital. Chester’s journey took around 45 minutes, with his mum travelling with him in the ambulance.

Amy said: “It was all such a shock. I have never felt adrenaline like it. It was a perfectly healthy pregnancy, and he was a perfectly healthy baby until this happened. You just go into fight-or-flight mode as a parent, and we had no choice but to fight for him.”

Chester spent the next three weeks on the Paediatric Critical Care Unit at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, receiving round-the-clock care.

Tests revealed he had contracted three respiratory viruses, RSV positive bronchiolitis, Parainfluenza and Rhinovirus. Chester also suffered from secondary pneumonia and potentially life-threatening collapsed lung, known as pneumothorax.

His care included being ventilated on two occasions, as well as physio and repetitive bagging and suction to clear his lungs. He also required a blood transfusion before finally being well enough to go home.

Amy said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the staff at Sheffield Children’s Hospital for saving our little boy, you are all amazing. From the doctors to the advanced clinical practice nurses, they were all incredible.”

Chester’s family and friends have dedicated themselves to fundraising for The Children’s Hospital Charity. They held a festival-themed first birthday party, ‘ChestFest’, for Chester, which around 70 people attended, as well as a sponsored bike ride and a raffle.

Amy added: “The events were great! It was lovely to see people coming together to raise money for such a special cause. My stepdad and his friend did a coast-to-coast bike ride, while we had some amazing raffle prizes, including microblading, a bespoke Couture gown which was made to measure, and a six-month martial art membership.”

They raised £6,000, with plans to further increase the total with more events next year.

Amy said: “I never expected to raise that much and I’m really proud. I’d like to thank everyone who donated.”