• Our Bolton NHS Charity thank couple who are raising thousands for Royal Bolton Hospital
• Chloe and James Jones’ son received life-saving care in November 2022
• They returned to the hospital to reunite with Jude’s neonatal nurses and consultants

Our Bolton NHS Charity have thanked a couple who are raising thousands of pounds for Royal Bolton Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, after their baby son received life-saving care.

Chloe and James Jones returned to the hospital with their now 20-month-old son, Jude, to receive a certificate of appreciation from the charity.

They also reunited with the neonatal consultants and nurses who provided around-the-clock care to look after Jude, who was born 15 weeks prematurely and spent 122 days at the hospital in November 2022.

Chloe said:

It was great to be able to come back and see some of the staff who helped Jude so much and for them to be able to see how well he is doing now thanks to their work.

“It was especially nice to be able to see Jude’s consultant Dr Mishra again. She was amazing throughout our time at Bolton and we really felt like she cared about us all as a family too.

Jude weighed just 1lb 4oz, and because he was so poorly, he needed a transfer to Bolton within hours of being born at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

On 19 November, during a home game against Aldershot Town, Chloe, who was 25 weeks’ pregnant, started to experience severe abdominal pain so was taken to Wrexham Hospital where she was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia.

Both Chloe and her unborn baby were in immediate danger so the decision was taken to perform an emergency caesarean.

Shortly after the birth, Chloe experienced pre-eclampsia, a condition which causes high blood pressure, and the life-threatening pregnancy condition Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets (HELLP) syndrome, leading to Chloe having two seizures and multiple organ failure.

Chloe added:

The staff at Bolton hospital were there for us when we needed them most and we will always be so grateful for that.

Earlier this year, Chloe and James launched a Go Fund Me for Our Bolton NHS Charity, and two other charities who provided support, which stands at almost £20,000.

Jude’s dad, James, plays for Wrexham AFC, and their fundraising pot had a generous £10,000 donation from club owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

James said:

After we were lucky enough to come through our experience the way we did, we felt extremely grateful and wanted to do something to show our appreciation and to hopefully help other families in the future who may go through similar circumstances.

“We are unbelievably thankful for everyone who has donated and helped raise awareness for our chosen charities, people’s generosity has been really overwhelming.

Jude, now a thriving and happy little boy, captured the hearts of staff as he returned to the hospital and showed off his impressive football skills, quickly following in the footsteps of his dad, James.

Dr Archana Mishra, Consultant at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said:

I was absolutely thrilled to see Jude doing so well! Being born at 25 weeks and having spent a few months on the neonatal unit needing support with his breathing and feeding, it was a difficult time for Jude and a very stressful time for his parents. I am in awe of how well he has caught up; a testament to his resilience and the love and dedication of his parents.

“At 20 months, I was so happy to see him enjoying a banana and kicking a ball; he has a delightful personality! It was lovely seeing Chloe and James too; they are taking everything in their stride.

“The funds that Chloe and James have raised will help us improve the experience for parents whose babies are born premature and sick and admitted to our unit.

Cath Bainbridge, Matron of Neonatal Services at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, provided care to Jude during his stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Cath said:

It was truly wonderful to see Jude come back for a visit as a very healthy and happy little boy. The Neonatal journey for any family can be an emotional and stressful experience.

“We strive to ensure that we provide high quality outcomes for babies like Jude, and their families. It is for this reason, that we are truly grateful to James and Chloe for their fund raising efforts to support our Unit as the often the smallest of things can make a huge difference in challenging times.

Back in May 2024, James, Chloe and Jude featured in episode five of the award-winning ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ docu-series, chronicling the purchase and stewardship of Wrexham AFC, by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.

The episode highlighted the family’s emotional experience and coincided with the launch of a fundraising appeal for Our Bolton NHS Charity, CHERISH and Spoons charity.

Our Bolton NHS Charity also provided a certificate of appreciation to Wrexham AFC for their support in raising the profile of the charity and the support available for parents.

Sharon White, Director of Strategy and Digital at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and Director of Our Bolton NHS Charity, added:

It was incredibly moving to have Chloe and James return to our hospital with Jude and to hear about their memories of staying with us and the care that our Neonatal and Critical Care teams provided.

“Jude has grown to be such a lovely, happy little boy who brought us so much joy and laughter during the visit.

“His strength, and the courage and determination of Chloe and Jude to raise vital funds and awareness, is so inspiring and together we’ll invest the money raised into making sure our Neonatal services provide the care our families need, every step of the way.

To find out more about Our Bolton NHS Charity, please visit our website.