Fun day for Madison is a £3,600 charity winner
AFAMILY fun day to commemorate a little girl who died at just two days old ten years ago has raised more than £3,000 for charity.
Melissa and Andy Barclay, from Rochdale, lost their first- born child, Madison Veda, to Group B Streptococcus (GBS) and meningitis in 2012 when she was just twoand- a- half days old.
The couple held a family fun day to honour the memory of Madison, who would have turned 10 years old this year, at Crompton Cricket Club in Shaw.
Melissa, 35, said: “I was anxious and nervous about the event but the support was just outstanding.
“Me and Andy cried happy tears and held each other. At one point there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
“The turnout was amazing and the club was full.
“I can’t describe how thankful I am for people’s generosity.”
In total they have raised £ 3,621 so far which will be split between charities Aching Arms UK, Group B Strep Support and The Little Princess Trust.
She decided to shave her 27 inch hair which will be used by charity The Little Princess Trust to create wigs to give to people free of charge who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment and other conditions.
Friends, family, work colleagues and people the couple didn’t know turned up to the event to show their support after seeing posters advertising the event on social media and around Shaw in shop windows and venues.
Children’s entertainers, the bouncy castle, games, face painting, the Easter Bunny and K Stars Morris Dancing Troupe kept guests entertained for hours with Reece Ryan leading the day.
Britain’s Got Talent golden buzzer act Sign Along With Us also made a special appearance.
Local businesses donated prizes for the raffle and The Royal Toby provided meals.
Gr8 Sports donated a banner for the big day and printed the t-shirts the family wore for free.
The Redwood Secondary School special needs teaching assistant added: “I cannot thank everyone enough for the support from the business who helped us to the people that came.”
She is an ambassador with the Group B Strep Support which is the world’s leading charity working to eradicate group B Strep infection in babies.
Bereavement charity, Aching Arms supported Melissa and Andy the day after they lost Madison and the bereavement midwife gave them a comfort bear.
Melissia became a trustee with the charity around six years ago and the couple have since funded bears in Madison’s name which will be given to people who lose a child.
The former Crompton House Secondary School student said: “When I do things for Aching Arms it’s time I would have spent doing things with Madison.”
Group B Strep (GBS) is a normal bacteria which about 1 out of 4 pregnant women carry and usually poses no symptoms or side- effects.
According to the Group B Strep Support charity, approximately one in every 1,000 babies born in the UK develops the infection with two babies a day developing it.
One baby dies from the infection each week, and one more baby survives with long- term disabilities - physical, mental or both.
It can be passed from mother to baby during labour and is harmless for most babies.
For a small number, it can lead to pneumonia and meningitis and can cause serious complications leading to sepsis.
GBS is recognised to cause preterm delivery, maternal infections, stillbirths and late miscarriages; and preterm babies are known to be at particular risk of GBS infection as their immune systems are not as well developed.
Andy has two sons Aaron and Andrew and
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Melissa and Andy later went on to have their children Xavier, Jaxon, Zachary and Xander.