FRIENDS have rallied round the parents of a baby who is severely ill in an intensive care unit.

Jamie Milton and Lauren Hart have been staying with one-year-old Honey in a hospital almost 100 miles from their home after she was diagnosed with Strep A, RSV, bronchitis and tonsillitis.

A crowdfunding appeal on JustGiving has already raised more than £5,000 towards the couple's hotel and food costs.

The money will also be used to give Honey the Christmas she missed out on as she spent the whole festive season in hospital.

And Jamie and businesswoman Lauren want to show their appreciation for the care given by NHS staff with a special gift for them.

Jamie, who was born and brought up in Watchet, said Honey first became ill a fortnight before Christmas.

"She just had a runny nose, which we put down to the time of year and that she'd just started nursery," added Jamie, a computer programmer.

"Then all of a sudden she developed a fever and started coughing and couldn't catch her breath."

After taking Honey to hospital in Barrow-in-Furness, near their home, she was diagnosed with bronchitis and her parents advised to treat her with Calpol.

"But back home she still had a bad cough, wasn't taking in any air and was white in the face," said Jamie.

"I thought something was really wrong and we took her back to hospital, where she was put on oxygen and tests showed she had bronchitis, tonsillitis and RSV and Strep A."

Holly was later blue-lighted to Manchester Children's Hospital after X rays showed she was accumulating fluid on her chest

As well as receiving a blood transfusion, she underwent two operations to suck air from between her lungs.

Jamie said: "Removing the fluid had led to a lot of air around her right lung, which wasn't inflating. Only one lung is working at the moment.

"She's been on a ventilator and doctors have been discussing treatments so she can breath on her own.

"The doctors say she should have been admitted to hospital days earlier.

"It's horrible seeing her like this. She could remain in hospital for another two to four weeks.

"Honey's actually kept Lauren and me going because she's not complaining. She's taken quite a lot of it on her chin."

*You can support the JustGiving appeal HERE.