EXCLUSIVE

THE family of a baby fighting for her life in an intensive care unit said this week that they are desperate to see her come home.

Madison Kennedy-Singlas is five months old but has only seen her home in Sharples Street, Accrington, once.

She has been on a respirator in Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool, while her mum Danielle Kennedy, dad Lee Singlas and brother Dylan, five, pray for the day when they can bring her home permanently.

The lowest point came two weeks ago when doctors told the anguished parents she did not have long to live but Madison pulled through the crisis and carried on fighting.

Madison, who was born on 12 January, suffers from Scimitar Syndrome and bronchomalacia, two conditions that drastically affect her ability to breathe.

Children with Scimitar Syndrome have a malformation in one of their lungs which shows up as a Turkish sword-shaped shadow in an X-ray.

Bronchomalacia is when the airways of the lungs narrow and collapse when exhaling.

Madison was taken home shortly after she was born but quickly had to be rushed back to hospital.

Danielle, 25, travels to Liverpool every day to be with her daughter.

She said: "It's been hard work because I have a son in school but both my family and Lee's family have been very supportive. My mum Colleen comes with me to the hospital and she has been a big help.

"Madison is a little fighter and we all love her a lot. Doctors are thinking she may be in hospital quite long term but we are going to see how it goes.

"We talked about moving to Liverpool to be closer to her but this is only early days. Until we find out how long she will be in hospital we don't really know. We just want her home."

While Madison is slowly getting stronger in Liverpool, her family in Hyndburn have been doing everything they can to support the hospital that is treating her.

Publicans Mick and Sue Cox, her great-uncle and great-aunt, have held several fund-raisers at the Tinker and Budget on Union Road, Oswaldtwistle.

They have already raised over £1,000 for Alder Hey and plan to do more throughout the summer.

Last week Mick spent 10 hours throwing darts and the couple hosted a charity football match and held a raffle.

Sue said: "Madison has hardly been home and we all want her to get stronger. So far the fund-raising has been brilliant and we have raised over £1,000 for Alder Hey and the Rosemary Hospice in Preston."

Mick added: "We promised we would do everything possible for Madison. She hasn't even spent a whole night at home and we all want to see her get better soon.

"We visited her in the hospital a few weeks ago and she is lovely. We will keep supporting her from here."