A CHARITY which provides a crucial ‘home-from-home’ service to anxious parents whose children are in hospital has been hailed by a Barnsley couple whose five-week-old baby had to undergo a life-saving blood transfusion.

In November, Riley Auckland was admitted to Barnsley Hospital with bronchiolitis and tested positive for RSV and rhinovirus.

However, due to his worsening condition, he was rushed to Sheffield Children’s Hospital having suffered a staph infection.

He required a blood transfusion, which led to an 11-day stay.

His parents, Sam and Lauren Auckland - from Measborough Dike - were given a free place to stay at Magnolia House’s ‘Home from Home’ service, ensuring that they could stay close to their baby son.

Lauren, 27, said: “At first we weren’t too worried, but as his condition worsened I knew something was seriously wrong.

“I stayed up all night watching him but by 5am I woke my husband and said we needed to go to the hospital.

“An ambulance took us to A and E from our home in Barnsley to the hospital, where Riley was diagnosed with bronchiolitis and tested positive for RSV and rhinovirus, all affecting his tiny lungs.”

Doctors at Barnsley Hospital warned that if his condition deteriorated, he might need intensive care at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

An X-ray revealed a partial lung collapse, with Riley being intubated and rushed to Sheffield under blue lights.

“I travelled in the ambulance with him, terrified about his health and how we’d cope so much further away from our home,” Lauren added.

“We were exhausted and overwhelmed but then a nurse asked if I needed somewhere to stay.

“Later that day, I was handed a set of keys to Magnolia House, a ‘home from home’ run by an incredible charity called The Sick Children’s Trust.

“The relief was overwhelming - it meant Sam and I could stay in Sheffield, close to Riley, without worrying about where we would sleep or travelling back and forth from Barnsley, which can be well over an hour in heavy traffic.”

Riley’s struggle became even more serious and at one point, things became so bad that doctors considered using an oscillator, a more extreme form of breathing support.

Luckily, they found another method that stabilised him, but his recovery remained slow, complicated by a staph infection and the need for a blood transfusion.

Riley endured multiple attempts to breathe without support, but each trial ended in failure.

“When he finally came off the ventilator, it felt like a huge milestone in his recovery,” Lauren said.

“He remained on oxygen therapy for several more days before his feeding tube was removed.

“Then, after nearly three weeks in hospital, we were finally able to take him home - a moment of immense relief.

“Looking back, the facilities at Magnolia House provided so much more than just a bed as everything practical you could need was there.

“There was even a playroom, which became so important when our eldest son, Sami, who is two, came to visit.

“I honestly can’t imagine how we would have coped without Magnolia House - it gave us a safe space, a genuine sanctuary, at the worst time in our lives.

“We will always be grateful to The Sick Children’s Trust for keeping us close to Riley when he needed us most.”