Family and fundraisers open bereavement room in Billy's memory

More than £55,000 has been raised to help open a special room at The James Cook University Hospital in memory of baby Billy Daniel Jones.

Billy's Room Infinity Suite gives bereaved parents a calm and comfortable place to stay while they spend precious time with their child.

When Billy was born in January 2017 he was unable to breathe on his own and had to be placed on a ventilator in the neonatal unit at James Cook. When his condition deteriorated and there was nothing more that the doctors could do, parents Rachel and Daniel Jones were taken to a bereavement room so that they could be together with Billy as a family. The room enabled them to stay overnight and spend precious time with their son.

Looking back they recalled that the room was very basic and clinical and could have been better located as it was near to where other women were giving birth on the central delivery suite.

Determined to make a difference to other families and to do something special in Billy's memory, Rachel and Dan launched a fundraising drive supported by Thornton Academy of Performing Arts where Rachel works as a teacher.

Together with support from the Teesside community they have already raised £55,830 of which £29,600 has been used to create a purpose-built room at the Middlesbrough hospital.

Billy's Room Infinity Suite officially opened its doors in December. Located away from the central delivery suite, it features a comfortable bed, ensuite bathroom and kitchen area in a homely environment and is already benefitting other families.

Rachel says: "It's amazing to see Billy's room finally open and to know that in Billy's name we will be helping so many families in the future during their most difficult time."