THE mother of a "miracle" baby is hoping to raise more than £1,000 for the nursing staff who looked after him when his heart stopped.

Alison Leyland, 37, of Chapter Road, Darwen, was told she may never have children and after ten years of trying for a child, she and her husband, Gareth, decided to adopt.

But just five months after they adopted brother and sister Shane, six, and Nikkita, four, Alison discovered she was pregnant.

She gave birth to Matthew 14 months ago but within hours of him being born his heart stopped.

After he was resuscitated and began getting better, Alison decided she wanted to do something to repay the staff at the neo-natal unit at Queens Park Hospital, Blackburn.

She is organising a charity ball which will take place in the Tower Room at Darwen Leisure Centre on December 3 from 7.30pm.

Alison, who has arranged the event with her two friends, Kate Quayle and Janet Bailey, is hoping people will come along and join the fun and is encouraging local businesses to book a table if they have not arranged a Christmas party. She said: "It was a shock when Matthew was ill because he had scored really well on all the tests they do when your baby's born.

"For three hours he was a normal baby and then he suddenly stopped breathing and he went a black colour from head to foot, which is what they call 'blue baby'. Once they had resuscitated him they had to take him back to neo-natal because he was having fits.

"He had various tests and scans and they discovered he had a rare chromozone disorder called IDIC 15, which is not normally discovered until they are three or four but because his heart stopped they diagnosed it early.

"He was taken from me and was on his own initially so the nurses took a photograph of him that I could look at until I was able to go and see him.

"It was a shock because he'd been fine all the way through the pregnancy so we weren't expecting any problems. Matthew is okay and catching up now although he still has to go back to the hospital." Common features of IDIC 15 can be a delay in sitting up and walking, seizures and some learning difficulties.

The charity ball has been sponsored by Darwen businesses Treeteam, Sunnyview Paving, Darwen Timber and Building Supplies and Octaveward Ltd so that all profits from tickets, raffle and auction will go to the hospital. Tickets are £10, and groups of six will get two tickets free, from Alison on 01254 706927 or Kate on 01254 703788.