A family from Northern Ireland are raising funds for a ward at the Royal Victoria Children's Hospital after it became a "second home" during their son's treatment.
Orlaith Sweeney and her family from Derry have spent months in the hospital's Barbour Ward as her son, Andrew, has been going through a number of operations and diagnoses.
As he awaits more surgery, the family are hoping their fundraising can help the ward get more supplies to continue helping other families.
Read more: Mum who lost son to drugs on mission to save others from heartache
Describing the ward as "one big family," Orlaith said they have a sensory room that has been a big comfort to Andrew, who has autism, and said their parent's area has been invaluable in providing much-needed extra space.
"When we're in the ward they just make you feel at home, it's like a family" she added.
"Knowing you're going into that ward, it makes it better knowing you're not just going into a basic ward with a bed and not much else. It makes it a lot easier for the children and adults, it just makes everyone feel a bit safer and more at home.
"We've spent a lot of time in the ward and I'm sure a lot of other families are probably in the same position or are going to be in the future, so we thought raising money could be a nice thank you from us as a family for all the help they've given us."
Barbour Ward is the main surgical, orthopaedic, spinal and renal ward in the Children’s Hospital. They care for a wide range of children with varying age groups from birth to adolescence.
Andrew and his family travelled from Derry to Belfast in September, around Christmas, March, and then at the beginning of May for treatment in the ward.
Orlaith said: "We were there for quite a while so if you needed any extra help they were always there for a hand with stuff you might have forgotten to bring with you on your trip up.
"Andrew's autistic and even for children who aren't, the sensory area they have on the ward is amazing. It's nice and therapeutic, it's good for calming everyone down. They're keen to expand it a bit more so we thought to help fundraise for them to achieve this.
"The ward has a wee parents room which has a two seater sofa, a microwave and a fridge. The money could help go towards some wee extra things for it.
"I set a goal of £500 for the fundraiser so I'm really happy to be over that already, I've decided to keep it going to see how much we can get for the ward."
You can donate to the family's fundraiser through their Go Fund Me page by clicking here.
Read more: 'I dropped eight dress sizes': NI woman's inspiring weight loss journey
Read more: Cost-of-living crisis: NI family 'using kitchen hob to heat their home'
To get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up to our free newsletter.
