# 'Gromit art trail charity was lifeline during our baby's hospital stay'

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Lilly-Mae Messenger  
BBC News, Bristol

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"It's just one less thing to worry about when you've got a poorly child in hospital."

For Emma-Louise and Scott, a home funded by money raised from Bristol's well-loved Gromit Unleashed art trails "was a lifeline".

Their son, Ronnie-James, is five years old and living with Dandy-Walker Syndrome, a rare condition affecting the part of the brain that controls movement, balance and co-ordination.

Without the Cots for Tots House, Emma-Louise says she and Scott would have needed to travel an hour to hospital every day to visit their son.

Ronnie-James is one of thousands of children in Bristol who have been supported by money raised from the Gromit art trails.

Since 2013, more than £20m has been donated to The Grand Appeal, with funds providing a "home away from home" for families across the west of England when they need to visit St Michael's Hospital or the Bristol Royal Hospital For Children.

Ronnie-James was born with a hole in his diaphragm, which meant his stomach had been moved into his chest, squashing a lung and moving his heart.

Emma explained that Ronnie-James suffers from headaches and is "in pain".

She said the family had used the accommodation provided by the charity from the very start of Ronnie-James' life.

"We came into the house the day I had him," she said. "It was good because you had everything that you needed and everything was sorted for you."

She added that if the family had needed to travel to and from their home near Cheltenham it "would have been so expensive" and she did not want to leave her baby "ages away".

  
Emma-Louise Sheppard  
Ronnie-James, five, has been through multiple brain surgeries after being diagnosed with Dandy-Walker syndrome

Emma Shepherd, deputy director of The Grand Appeal, says families come to stay at the accommodation from across the west of England and South Wales. Send your story ideas to us on email or via .

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