PATIENTS are set to benefit from the opening of a £10,000 relaxation room – thanks to fund-raising in memory of a leukaemia sufferer.

The Darren Bailey Room at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire contains facilities to make people with leukaemia feel more comfortable and distract them from their illness.

It was created as a tribute to 23-year-old Darren, a former soldier from Ash Bank, Werrington, who died on New Year's Day in 2006 after spending 14 months receiving treatment in the hospital.

Family and friends staged a charity auction, attended by 250 people at the Moathouse in Hanley, as well as a raffle and a sponsored climb up Snowdon to raise funds.

Darren's mother, Angela Foulkes, aged 44, said: "Leukaemia can weaken the bones and make things like sitting on a normal chair very painful.

"The opportunity to renovate a spare room in the hospital came up and so we decided to provide extra things that wouldn't normally be funded on the NHS."

The room, created next to ward 117 where people with leukaemia are treated, contains leather sofas, computers, plasma TV, exercise bike, library books and artwork.

Angela said: "We just wanted to help people in the same situation as Darren – especially adolescents with the illness. When Darren was diagnosed as terminal, he came up with a list of things he wanted to do before he died and one of those was a visit to the theatre.

"During the performance, there was a moment where Darren forgot about his illness and was tapping along to the music and I just welled up. It was the desire to make that sort of difference to someone's life that inspired us to create the room."

Dozens of friends and family took part in the fund-raising in memory of Darren, who served with the Royal Engineers for five years.

Angela hopes to raise money through the Darren Bailey Fund, splitting proceeds between the hospital and leukaemia research.

Sister Sue Taylor, manager of ward 117, said: "I think it's fabulous that Angela has raised so much for us. The room is just like a lounge and the equipment is just the kind of stuff young people would use at home."