THE family of a baby born with a rare condition is supporting a charity appeal to raise £1m for a children’s hospital.

Fourteen-month-old Joy McLaughlin, from Peterlee, in east Durham, suffers from gastroschisis, a condition which affects only one in every 2,000 babies.

The condition occurs when the baby develops a small hole in the front of their tummy, just to the side of the umbilical cord, which allows some of the bowel to escape.

It was detected when Joy’s mother, Stacey Brown, had her 16-week scan at the University Hospital of Hartlepool.

The staff there referred Stacey to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), in Newcastle, where doctors were able to confirm the condition.

Joy had an operation to close up the hole as soon as she was born.

Now, Ms Brown is supporting a campaign to raise £1m for the new Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle, to help make the surroundings more comfortable for youngsters who are admitted.

She said: “The new hospital and its amazing staff will provide everything Joy could ever need in terms of the clinical area, which is fantastic.

“But providing extra facilities to make the children feel at ease while they are in hospital will make a real difference.

“Some children, like Joy, need to stay in hospital for long periods of time and this means the ward becomes like a second home.

“For these children to have their own rooms with a fold-down bed where a parent can stay with them overnight in comfort will make the whole experience so much better.”

Construction of the hospital will be fully completed next year and will allow almost all children’s services for the North of England to be under one roof in a modern building, on the site of the RVI.

It will provide world-class facilities within an environment designed to make both children and their families feel more comfortable.

Professor Andrew Cant, clinical director for children’s services, said: “Raising money for extra patient comforts and innovative activities, which create a welcome distraction for children, can really make a difference.

“Ultimately, they will help aid recovery and improve the well-being of children who have to spend time in hospital.”