A DORSET charity has helped a family by giving them a free holiday after their youngest son underwent life saving surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital. 

Festival of Giving (FOG), based in Shaftesbury, chose to help the Hunt family, who live in Gillingham, after youngest member Milo found himself in and out of hospitals with RSV Bronchiolitis. 

This is an infection of the smaller airways in the lungs which is more common in babies and very small children. The disease is different from bronchitis, which is an infection affecting the larger airways. 

The Hunt family are set to go to Devon in June for a much-needed break being their first holiday since before the pandemic.

FOG is a local organisation created last year which hosts a two-day festival on the May bank holiday raising funds for charities and families. 

Amy Hunt, Milo’s mum said: “It all started when he was six weeks old and we were told he unfortunately had caught quite a nasty strain of it and he was going to need intensive care.”

Milo was quickly transferred to Southampton after diagnosis and incubated for five days to allow the virus to pass before removing the breathing tube. 

However, the initial extubation failed and Milo was put back on breathing support and given 72 hours of a high dose of steroids before later being discharged back to Salisbury Hospital for recovery. 

Ms Hunt said: “Seeing him with all the tubes and everything wasn’t nice at all, my husband found that particularly difficult.”

Milo was intubated multiple times again and in December was finally diagnosed with Tracheal Stenosis, an abnormal narrowing of the trachea that restricts the ability to breathe normally.

Following diagnosis, Milo was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital for specialised treatment with a decision made for the hospital to carry out surgery to remove the affected windpipe area. 

Charlie Doble, director of Festival of Giving, said: “Since his surgery he’s done really well and is finally home after five months in hospital.

“He’s still vulnerable to viruses so has to be a bit careful but obviously this is why we chose to pick this family and it’s why we need help from local businesses to help fund these holidays, even if it’s 10 or 15 pounds, if it’s 15 businesses, it all adds up”. 

Ms Hunt said: “We weren’t really a family for the last five months so five days to spend together will just be amazing. It’s a surprise gift to us that means a huge amount especially after everything.”