A mum whose child has been admitted to hospital more than 20 times is pleading with health bosses to protect vital services in Whitehaven.

Vicky Murray has three young boys and knows first hand how important the fully-functional children's ward is at the West Cumberland Hospital. But as part of radical proposals put forward by health bosses, the service currently offered could be downgraded with many sick children being sent to Carlisle.

Mrs Murray is now backing The News & Star's Save Our Services campaign and urging others to follow.

When her five-year-old son Robert was just nine months old, he was rushed to hospital struggling to breathe.

He was put in a oxygen tent and Robert and his faily spent a terrifying week in the hospital.

He has since been rushed to hospital a staggering 26 times with similar problems and has even been referred to Newcastle's RVI for treatment.

It was only the beginning of this year when Robert was finally diagnosed with severe asthma and is so far having "a good spell" as he has not been in hospital for the past four months.

Mrs Murray, from Coronation Drive in Whitehaven, said she would be devastated if children's services are downgraded.

The Government-backed Success Regime's preferred option is to turn the paediatric ward as the West Cumberland into short stay, with some overnight stays for monitoring lower level cases.

All other children, especially those with more serious conditions, would be sent to Carlisle's Cumberland Infirmary.

"It will be awful," said the 33-year-old. "The first time Robert was ill, we thought it was a chest infection.

"It happened quite suddenly. He seemed fine through the day but by night he was making these heavy noises and struggling to breathe.

"It was horrible. We were exhausted as he wouldn't keep his oxygen mask on so we had to hold it and also make sure he didn't pull his IV line out. He stayed in hospital for a week and if he had been taken to Carlisle, it would be a nightmare."

Mrs Murray's family would struggle to make the 40-mile journey and bring essential items as her mum cares for her dad and her mother-in-law is disabled.

And if Robert was to be sent through to Carlisle in the future, it would mean the family would be split as her husband, Jonathan, would stay at home to care for the other two children.