THE family of a Newport baby who has never been able to eat is raising money for the hospital treating her.

Eleven month old Georgia Diamond of Maesglas, Newport, has made the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales her home after being

born with gastroschisis, meaning that she has never been able to feed and never returned home.

Georgia who was born with her intestines on the outside of her body has had numerous operations to correct the dilated section of her gut.

However Georgia must wait for two years until she is potentially able to have a intestine transplant at Birmingham hospital, one of two hospitals in the world that provide this type of treatment.

Due to her condition Georgia requires IV Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) which means she is fed by a tube, and will be for the rest of her life unless she undergoes a transplant operation - something there is a risk she might not survive.

Georgia’s mum, Lisa James,25, of Newport, said: "Georgia's condition was much more complicated than most.

"Her dilated intestines mean that she must be fed by the TPN method.

"She has has a lot of surgery to correct it but it has been unsuccessful.

"Doctors have diagnosed her condition as intestinal failure, which means she will be fed by TPN for the rest of her life unless she has a transplant. And that has risks.

"In two years she will be offered an intestine transplant at Birmingham Hospital.

"I have been trained by the Ocean ward nurses at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales to be able to feed Georgia through the TPN method and so we are hoping to take her home in the next few weeks.

"But at the moment she is still living with me in the hospital."

Miss James can’t praise the staff at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital enough, especially those on Ocean Ward, who are training Lisa to use all of the equipment required to keep Georgia healthy.

“The staff on Ocean ward are excellent, I love them and they adore Georgia," she added

"They are training me up to use her pumps so I can finally take her home.”

Throughout this difficult period Georgia has undergone multiple surgeries and procedures, and so family friends Natasha Richards and Larissa Morgan, both of Malpas, are now both fundraising to show their support.

A fun day was organised by Miss Richard, 27, of Malpas, at The Three Horseshoes on August 24, raising £513, and now Miss Morgan, 26, of Malpas, a care assistant, is daring to bungee jump on September 6 alongside nine other people.

The event starts at 12 noon and will include a BBQ, bouncy castle, face painting, tarot reading and much more.

Ms Morgan said; “The event is to be held in aid of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital Charity as the hospital is Georgia’s home and she will be a regular patient there for the rest of her life, as no other hospital in South Wales takes TPN dependent children.”

“We hope that as many people come along to the event to show Georgia and Lisa their support and raise funds for this vital charity.”