THE grateful family of a prematurely born baby boy have given "a lasting legacy" to the hospital that saved his life.

Alfie Jack Simpson of High Farm, Arrad Foot, near Ulverston, weighed just three pounds when he was born six weeks early at Furness General Hospital, Barrow, on June 12, 2016.

His mum, Jill, has never forgotten the trauma of her tiny son being taken by ambulance to intensive care at Lancaster, almost 50 miles away, when his condition worsened.

Jill was too poorly to leave the maternity unit at Barrow during their four days apart. Tiny Alfie Jack then spent another seven weeks at FGH before his parents Jill and Stuart could finally take him home.

Thanks to more than £8,000 raised by the Simpson family and friends, a new parents' room has opened at FGH where mums and dads can stay if their newly-born baby is born poorly or needs extra help.

The donation has also allowed Bay Hospitals Charity to buy four recliner chairs for the hospital's Special Care Baby Unit. These chairs allow mothers and fathers to hold their baby by the side of an incubator or cot, and are more comfortable for new mums who have had a Caesarean birth. The recliners can also be turned into flat beds, allowing partners to stay overnight.

Speaking at this week's official opening of the new room, Jill said: "Being here today with Alfie Jack - who is now two-and-a-half years old - and seeing the new parents' room for the first time makes me and Stuart feel so proud.

"As a family, we really wanted to give something back to the hospital because without the incredible care we received from all the teams at FGH and the RLI, Alfie wouldn't be here today."

Jill recalled: “I cannot begin to describe how awful it was to be separated from Alfie Jack at a time that should have been one of the happiest times in our lives.

"They took Alfie Jack away in an ambulance and he spent four days on ICU at the RLI before they brought him back to FGH where he spent another seven weeks in hospital before he was finally discharged and we could bring him home.

“The day we were told we could bring him home was such a special day for us all. Unless you've been in that situation yourself, you cannot begin to know how it feels to be apart from your newborn baby."

Helped by family and friends, Jill, Stuart and daughters Katie, Hayley, Courtney and Jodie raised more than £8000 for Bay Hospitals Charity with events such as a barn dance on their farm, a charity auction and a village hall dance for Jill’s dad's 70th birthday.

The Simpson family have praised the all doctors and nurses at Barrow and Lancaster as "absolutely fantastic". They said clinical leader Charlotte Johnson and specialist neonatal nurse practitioner Barbara Foster, on the Special Care Baby Unit at FGH, were both "incredible and really went above and beyond".

Nicola Askew, associate director of nursing and therapy service for children and young people at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, gave heartfelt thanks to the Simpsons and their friends for their "fantastic fundraising efforts".

"I’d also like to thank Lauren Beaumont, commissioning officer from our capital services team, who project-managed the new room right from the start and got us where we are today.

"It is so humbling when local people from Barrow and the surrounding areas fundraise or donate to our hospital charity allowing us to purchase the latest state-of-the art-equipment or, in this case improve, the hospital environment to ensure patients we care for really do receive the best care possible,"she said.

"It was lovely to meet the family and especially Alfie Jack, who is an absolute star. The new parents' room and chairs the charity purchased from the Simpson family's generous donation will leave a lasting legacy and will help other local families for many years to come."

If you would like to fundraise, see www.bayhospitalscharity.org/donate