A mum’s tireless campaign to get a sensory room at Wigan Infirmary for her disabled son is finally starting to bear fruit.

Jessie Hunt’s son Otis, four, is non-verbal autistic, has a learning disability and a sensory processing disorder.

Jessie, from Abram, said her son’s condition made her aware of the lack of understanding, training and resources available to support autistic and disabled individuals, particularly at Wigan Infirmary.

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Otis, aged four, pictured with mum and dad Jessie and Ethan. (Pic: Little Daisies Photography)

placeholder image — Otis, aged four, pictured with mum and dad Jessie and Ethan. (Pic: Little Daisies Photography)

She added: “For the last two years I have been pushing to create change at Wigan hospital.

"After lots of experiences with Otis throughout the trust, particularly A&E, it highlighted to me if my son had a physical disability that meant he was a wheelchair user, a ramp would be made to support this, and rightly so. However it became very clear that 'hidden disabilities' were not being treated in the same way.”

Jessie, 31, began collecting the experiences of other parent-carers like herself.

Earlier this month she met with bosses at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to make her case for “reasonable adjustments” at the hospital, which have now been given the green light. This includes the creation of a sensory quiet room at the A&E department.

Otis, aged four, has a range of learning disabilities (Pic: Little Daisies Photography)

She added: “The two years spent fighting for this has now become reality and the hospital have set up a task and finish group for me, which they have named ‘the Otis Project.’

“My reason for all of this is my beautiful son Otis, making sure that his voice is heard, and to get better services for autistic and disabled people in the community.

"Parents to neurodiverse and disabled children are made to fight for everything, and I don't think that equal access to healthcare should be one of the things we have to fight for.

“I know I am only one mum on a mission but I am so passionate about this, and that is what has kept me pushing for two years. I am hoping to get as many people to support our mission to make the hospital inclusive for everyone.

"The future goal for me is to make sure Otis's voice is heard in every hospital nationwide.”

A charity fun day is taking place this Saturday at the Open Air Bounce inflatable park in Over Hulton, Bolton, to raise funds for the Otis Project.

There will be two sessions, one at 11am for those with SEN and a general session at 2.30pm which is open to all. There will also be charity stalls and a raffle.

Tickets starting at £1 are available from Open Air Bounce, while a Justgiving page has been set up for the Wigan hospital charity Three Wishes, which is funding the Otis Project.

Kevin Parker-Evans, chief nursing officer at WWL, said: “Jess is a much-valued member of our Lived Experience Panel, and we would like to extend our support and thanks to her and her family for organising this wonderful event to help raise funds for a more inclusive environment within our A&E department.”