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13
Aug 2023
Baby loss ball to be held in Harrogate in memory of stillborn twins
Parents of twins who were stillborn last year are inviting anyone who has lost a child to take part in a celebration of their lives in Harrogate this autumn.
Hayley and Neil Patrick-Copeland hope to raise money for a charity supporting families through child bereavement with their Baby Loss Awareness Ball.
Hayley said she hoped the event would bring people together, as well as raising money for other parents going through the same situation.
She told the Stray Ferret:
Hayley was 25 weeks pregnant last year when her twin girls were born, on August 2 last year.
She and husband Neil had been told it was a high-risk pregnancy, because the twins shared a placenta, and at 24 weeks doctors diagnosed twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).
Despite successful laser surgery in Birmingham, the babies' hearts stopped beating and they could not be saved. Hayley and Neil returned to North Yorkshire and she gave birth a few days later in hospital in York.
Hayley said:
As a result, the couple will raise money for the charity 4Louis through their blue-and-pink themed Baby Loss Awareness Ball, which takes place at Pavilions of Harrogate on Saturday, October 14.
4Louis provides memory boxes for parents whose babies are stillborn, enabling them to capture hand and footprints, and give their child a teddy bear.
The charity also delivers cooled boxes and blankets to allow bereaved families to spend more time with their children after they have died.
Hayley and Neil were able to spend time with Alya, left, and Aleah thanks to 4Louis
Although Hayley and Neil live in Selby, they chose the venue in Harrogate because of its peaceful setting, and to offer easy access to people from across North Yorkshire.
They particularly wanted to hold the night during Baby Loss Awareness Week, and all attendees will be given a candle to take home and use in the national wave of light the following evening.
If it goes well, Hayley said they hope it will become an annual event and a way of welcoming recently bereaved parents from across the county into a supportive community.
Tickets, which include a welcome drink, three-course dinner and entertainment, are £65 each or £600 for a table of 10. They can be booked via the event website.
Read more:
- Volunteers donate life-saving equipment to Harrogate hospital baby unit
- Harrogate woman to swim English Channel distance for charity
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