A mum from Bassingbourn is jumping out of a plane to raise money for the intensive care ward which saved her newborn son’s life.

Royston Crow: Little Jude became very ill shortly after he was born.Little Jude became very ill shortly after he was born. (Image: Archant)

Amy and Justin Parr were overjoyed at the birth of baby Jude, who was born two years after their daughter Daisy was stillborn.

However Jude began suffering breathing problems just hours after he came into the world.

Amy said: “Jude was born on the Friday night and by early Saturday he started making a funny noise.

“His chest started concaving, he was struggling to breathe.”

Royston Crow: But thanks to the lifesaving treatment at the Rosie NICU, Jude is now recovered.But thanks to the lifesaving treatment at the Rosie NICU, Jude is now recovered. (Image: Archant)

Little Jude, who weighed 7lb 3.5oz, was rushed to the Rosie Hospital neonatal intensive care unit in Cambridge.

“They checked his blood and he had sepsis,” said the 30-year-old.

“We thought we were going to lose him. I was terrified.”

As well as deadly sepsis Jude was diagnosed as having a pneumothorax – a build-up of air which causes the lung on the affected side to collapse and be unable to inflate.

Amy said: “You don’t think it’s going to happen to you, and after what happened last time with Daisy, I was in shock.

“I said to Justin ‘this baby is coming home with us’.”

Jude received life-saving treatment by the medical team and thankfully recovered from his ordeal.

“The staff were absolutely amazing,” said Amy.

“They said they wouldn’t stop and would do everything they could. I thought he’s too small to be going through this.

“He had been through so much and was so tiny. The doctors don’t know why it happened. It could have happened in labour but they’re not sure.”

Amy and Justin run fencing firm JS Fencing in Bassingbourn and have been married for a year. They have four other children together – Alfie, nine, Iris, eight, six-year-old Seth and Myia, who is a year old. Dad Justin, 42, also has son Troy, 22, from a previous relationship.

Amy said: “I think it was really hard for the other children because I couldn’t be with them. It was also hard for us financially as we are self-employed.”

Now with Jude six-months old and fully recovered, Amy wanted to fundraise for the ward which saved her son’s life.

She said: “Jude was so unwell I automatically thought the worst, but the support we received from the team was incredible. They didn’t just save our boy, they helped us through some of the hardest days too.

“Because of the children, I wanted to do something that didn’t need to dedicate lots of time to so I thought of skydiving.

“I wanted to give something back, because they really were amazing. The support has been great – we raised £500 just by posting about it on Facebook.

“Jude is absolutely fine now, a bouncing baby boy. You don’t realise at the time, it’s only afterwards it really hit me how close we were to losing him.

“If it hadn’t been for the staff, the outcome could have been very different.”

Amy is diving at the North London Skydiving Centre in March, Cambs, on Wednesday next week for the Rosie Hospital’s NICU. To donate go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Amy-Parr2