A FAMILY have issued a heartfelt thank you to a charity for its “vital support” after their four-year-old son was rushed to hospital 45 miles away with sepsis.

Ronald, from Southend, was rushed from the city’s hospital to the Royal London Hospital after his appendix burst and doctors found he was suffering from sepsis as a result.

Parents Louisa and James were told the four-year-old needed to be transferred for specialist treatment in London where his sepsis would be treated and his burst appendix would be removed.

Thanks to the Sick Children’s Trust, Louisa and James were able to stay in the charity’s temporary accommodation just metres from the hospital so they could be by Ronald’s bed as he received treatment.

Louisa said: “I think we were both in a state of shock.

“We went from the diagnosis in Southend to arriving in London in just a couple of hours, having to leave our 16-month-old daughter Violet with my parents.

“Everything happened so quickly, it was like a whirlwind.”

“He really was a very poorly little boy, with the next 72 hours being critical. “Not wanting to leave Ron, we were relieved when the hospital let us stay the night.

“We certainly didn’t have spare funds to pay for a hotel in London, especially on one of the most expensive nights of the year. However, with Ron likely to be in hospital for two weeks, we desperately needed to find a way to stay close to him.”

Louisa found out about charity the Sick Children’s Trust and their Stevenson House “Home from Home” - which gives parents a place to stay, close to the hospital, free of charge.

She said: “The next morning, we reached out to Stevenson House. They called back in no time at all, telling us that we could have a room pretty much straight away. It was such a weight off our minds.

“The room itself was so lovely, nicer than some of the hotels I’ve been in. But the main thing was the location, being just five minutes’ walk from Ron’s ward. We were so grateful. “We were fortunate enough to stay at Stevenson House right up until Ron was discharged.

“I had never heard of this charity before we needed their help, but now I am doing everything I can to spread the word about how they support families with a poorly child in hospital despite being many miles from their own home.

“It is a horrible situation to be in, but Stevenson House really made things so much better for us during what was a scary and upsetting time.

“Ron is doing brilliantly now. He is doing great at school, back to his usual, cheeky self. It is the biggest relief.”