Family are fundraising in memory of Freddie KATHERINE BAINBRIDGE
THE parents of a tiny baby who tragically passed away are attempting to raise £1,000 for every day of his short life.
Freddie Platt-Chance was born with a range of serious health problems, including a congenital heart defect, multiple cysts in his lungs and swelling and fluid throughout his body.
He was delivered by c-section seven weeks early and was immediately rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester, but sadly lost his fight for life on January 13, just 25 days after being born.
His parents, Ingrid and Andy Platt-Chance from Offerton, set up a fundraising page to help buy equipment for the unit that cared for Freddie, which raised over £7,000.
Now Ingrid says they are determined to keep going and hope to raise £25,000 by Freddie’s first birthday in December.
She said: “We got talking to the neonatal unit about the price of things and realised that although the fundraising page raised more than we ever expected it to, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who donated, it would barely scratch the surface.”
They are planning a big fundraising event for Friday, June 30, on the sixthmonth anniversary of Freddie’s birth, at Stockport County’s Edgeley Park ground. The venue has been donated and will be dressed by I Do Venues in Stockport.
Ingrid said: “Every month when it comes to when he was born it is even harder for us and we have been doing little things each month.
“Six months would have been a major milestone for him, so we decided to do something bigger and see if we could raise a bit more.”
Tickets to the event are £15, which includes a glass of Prosecco on arrival and entertainment from 70s and 80s tribute band Throb Lovelace and the Pitts. There will also be a raffle, with a top prize of £100 cash that was a gift from an anonymous donor.
“We want to get our story across, but not have the evening be morbid,” Ingrid said. “We really want people to have a good time in Freddie’s name.”
For tickets or more information visit freddieslegacy.co.uk or facebook.com/freddieslegacy.
Other upcoming events include an Easter egg hunt at Bosden Farm in Offerton on Saturday, April 16 and some of Ingrid’s colleagues from A&E at Stepping Hill Hospital are taking on the Great Manchester Run in May in Freddie’s memory.