Little Jack Sneddon will not remember the moment he met the Duchess of Cambridge but his mother will always be thankful of having a place to be near her baby boy.

Fiona gave birth to her son in Glasgow in November and just a day later he was transferred to the Evelina Children's Hospital in London.

Jack was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition which means the left side of his heart does not form properly, leaving him with just half the organ.

Since his admission in London, Jack has had two open heart surgeries but still requires two more.

Throughout the four months of his life so far, his mother has remained by his side.

She says she has only been able to be there because of the Ronald McDonald House, knowing the help provided will be invaluable ahead of his next two operations.

Fiona said: "We couldn't afford to be down here if we didn't have this. My husband comes down every weekend so he stays here as well.

"It's right across the road from the hospital. If anything was to go wrong with Jack we can be there in five minutes. It's just amazing."

Jack's family also know it could be many months before he can return home to Glasgow but they have the reassurance they could be helped further by the charity.

The London location is one of 14 houses across Britain, including Glasgow, and plans are under way to open a new one in Edinburgh.

Evelina House, opened by the Duchess of Cambridge on Tuesday, is a purpose built "home away from home" which accommodates the families of children being treated in hospital.

Equipped with kitchens and playrooms, the £13m home can house 59 families, and is just a five-minute walk from Evelina London Children's Hospital.

The duchess spoke to many of the families staying at the house and found out more about the children and their conditions.

Fiona added: "She was just asking about Jack, how he was, what he'd had done. I think she was so nice, she makes a real effort to speak to you.

"Jack slept through the whole thing but she made a real effort to speak to me and find out about Jack."