A VERY special cake bake has raised hundreds of pounds to help sick children.

Two years ago, Gemma Fletcher’s son George was very sick in Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

But now the brave tot is doing well despite having developmental delays due to him having such a rough beginning.

The little boy from Clunbury is also profoundly deaf.

In January George went back to Birmingham for bilateral cochlear implants.

They have been successful, even though he suffers from a rare type of deafness called auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder.

But he is responding to sounds and beginning to use his voice for the first time.

Gemma organised a cake bake to raise money for the National Deaf Children’s Society.

Held in Clunbury it raised £700 for the charity.

The charity has been a hub of information and support following George’s diagnosis when he was just seven weeks old.

“The week following our cake bake was deaf awareness week, said his mum.

At the bake Gemma did not only sell cakes, there was also be a lot of information about the charity, deafness and how to effectively communicate with deaf children and adults.

Gemma said her family has had a tough time coming to terms with what has happened.

“We have all had a hard time coming to terms with George’s diagnosis, especially after his turbulent time as a new born.

“It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, but we are in a good place at the moment and trying to bring deaf awareness into our community is our way of giving back and supporting George to communicate effectively in the future.

“Deafness and disability are sometimes something that can be a bit awkward and potentially create barriers. One of my biggest fears would be that people would avoid us as they would feel uncomfortable, but actually the majority of people who know us have been amazing and very supportive of George’s journey and are not afraid to ask questions, going to show that with knowledge and understanding the barriers can always be broken.”

George, who is two in August, has two brothers. He was born in the midwife-led maternity unit at Ludlow Hospital. It was a quick birth and initially he seemed well and could have gone home almost immediately, but fortunately he didn’t because his mother needed to rest.

The following day he was not well and the midwife was concerned. He was transferred initially to Telford and then to the Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Gemma and her husband Sam were told that George was very seriously ill and he had to have two operations within four days, including the removal of a section of bowel.

A serious heart condition was also discovered.

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a heart problem that occurs soon after birth in some babies. In PDA, abnormal blood flow occurs between two of the major arteries connected to the heart.

Before birth, the two major arteries – the aorta and the pulmonary artery – are connected by a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus. This vessel is an essential part of fetal blood circulation.

Within minutes or up to a few days after birth, the vessel is supposed to close as part of the normal changes occurring in the baby’s circulation.

But in some babies the ductus arteriosus remains open. This opening allows oxygen-rich blood from the aorta to mix with oxygen-poor blood from the pulmonary artery.