EVERY time little Joe Weldon goes to sleep, there is always the danger he may never wake up.

The one-year-old has sleep apnoea, a fairly common condition in adults but unusual in one so young.

Joe often stops breathing, and if it was not for a £500 monitor at his bedside his parents might get no warning.

His mother, Christine Oxley, 26, of Witton Gilbert, near Durham, was shocked the first time it happened.

"His face turned blue. They took him to hospital and that's when they diagnosed sleep apnoea. It is common in adults but not in children, and not a lot of parents know about it.

"They think in babies it could be due to large tonsils but they haven't diagnosed the cause in Joe yet.

"Joe has a really bad chest; he has asthma and he can't go under anaesthetic."

After the first scare, Ms Oxley and Joe's father, Brian Weldon, were taught stimulation and resuscitation techniques.

"If he doesn't improve in 25 or 30 seconds, you have to try again, ring for an ambulance and go to resuscitation. It is nerve-wracking but you have got to do it. We have nearly lost him a few times."

The monitor was lent by the Cot Death Society at the suggestion of the family's health visitor.

A fundraising night, including a band and raffle for the Cot Death Society, will be held in Witton Gilbert Workingmen's Club on Wednesday, October 30, at 7pm.

Ms Oxley, who has two other children, Tanya, two, and Jordan, seven, said: "I couldn't afford to buy a monitor myself.

"I want to raise awareness of the society and raise more than £1,000, which is the cost of two monitors."

Tickets cost £2 from the club. Anyone who can donate a raffle prize can contact Ms Oxley on 0191-371 8684.