When baby Ben Pavitt was born four weeks early, his mother watched as the tiny tot battled for life at Ipswich Hospital.

BY JO THEWLIS

jo.thewlis@eveningstar.co.uk>

FELIXSTOWE: When baby Ben Pavitt was born four weeks early, his mother watched as the tiny tot battled for life at Ipswich Hospital.

Weighing just 5lbs 8oz, Ben did not breathe properly for his first 11 minutes of life on July 28 this year.

Battling liver problems, the brave baby boy stayed in the hospital's neonatal unit for eight days, undergoing brain scans and photo therapy to adjust his delicate skin to the light.

When doctors feared the youngster could have the deadly virus meningitis, mum Gail Bosley vowed she would do something to help the unit if her son made it through.

“I thought, 'If he comes through this, I would do something',” said Gail, 28. “If it wasn't for the nurses, I don't know where I would have been.”

Thanks to the kindness and compassion of hospital staff, Ben, now four-months-old, is a healthy baby at home with Gail and her partner Andrew Pavitt in Garrison Lane, Felixstowe.

Although the tot has continued to thrive, Gail wanted to show her appreciation for the care and support she received at the hospital.

“The nurses were brilliant,” she said. “I couldn't have asked for better people.

“All of them were so lovely. They just threw their arms around you and told you it was going to be alright.”

As a first-time mum, Gail said the time staff spent with her, explaining how to bathe and look after her child, was invaluable.

“It is a bit intimidating at first,” she said. “When you see your baby with cannulas sticking out of them, it is heart breaking.

“The staff are just so brilliant. Every single one of them sat down and gave me advice.”

Has your family been helped by the special baby care unit? What do you think of the care you received? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

To give something back, thankful mum Gail arranged an evening of clairvoyance at Ipswich's Locomotive Club on last week to raise awareness of the fantastic work the unit does.

The sold-out event, featuring mediums Maori Johns, Andy Hutchison, Robert Lummis and Val Noble, raised more than �1,000 for the department.

Gail said: “Ben has come along in leaps and bounds and I wanted to give something back.

“You see it splashed all over the news that hospitals aren't clean and they don't provide care.

“But I think the nurses should be praised because they provide fantastic care for our children.”

Gail now plans to abseil down the side of Ipswich Hospital next year to raise more money for the vital service.

Anyone who would like to make a donation to the cause can contact Gail at gailyxx@aol.com