The Real family are proud to be hosting their sixth annual World Prematurity Day Charity Ball, raising vital funds to support neonatal care through fundraising for specialist charities and equipment for premature and poorly babies.

As a testament to the amazing doctors and nurses and their dedication to premature and poorly babies, the World Prematurity Charity Ball hopes to build awareness around prematurity. We are delighted to be hosting our sixth Charity Ball on Saturday 8th November at the Last Drop Village Hotel, Bolton.

We have set this page up for anyone that would like to donate to the charities but are unable to attend on the evening. Last year, we donated an incredible total of £30,192.20 and we want to continue to raise money for something so deeply close to our hearts.

100% of all money raised on the night will be donated to four amazing charities. We want to continue our support directly to four amazing charities:

⭐️Ronald McDonald House Charity Manchester – providing a home-away-from-home for families with children in hospital.

⭐️Bolton NICU – delivering life-saving care to premature and poorly babies.

⭐️Oldham NICU – supporting families through some of their most difficult moments.

⭐️Connect North West Neonatal Transport – ensuring the safe transfer of critically ill newborns and neonates between hospitals.

Why Are We Fundraising?

In July 2019, Ava and Archie were born 3 months premature weighing just over 1lb each. Their early arrival, came with heart-breaking complications. They needed numerous blood transfusions, continuous oxygen, lifesaving operations and around-the-clock care.

While Ava and Archie were in the NICU, we realised the unit needed help with providing essential equipment to help all parents, including those who weren’t as lucky as we were. The unit needed better advanced equipment and better facilities for the patients who are sitting helplessly by their poorly babies incubators day-in-day-out

Also at 7 weeks old, Archie was transferred to St Mary’s Children’s Hospital, where he underwent life-saving surgery for the deadly NEC virus. Ronald McDonald House Manchester provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation to families with children receiving treatment and gave Alex & Declan a room to sleep in close by to Archie, who was gravely ill.

Facilities as such this have saved parents, allowing them to rest, albeit only slightly but knowing they are only across the corridor from their baby brings immense comfort. With limited availability, these rooms sadly come on a first-come, first-served basis, which is incredibly distressing when all a parent wants is to be with their baby, especially when they are sick.

Ava and Archie are now happy, healthy six-year-olds. But devastatingly, not all parents are lucky enough to see their child bounce back to recovery. Which is why we, as a family and many others, would do absolutely anything to give back to the charities and bodies that massively helped us and that can benefit so many more families moving forward.

We will be forever grateful for the love, support and care Ava and Archie received but also Declan and Alex and we want to make this night special and raise as much money as we possibly can.

Please support us by donating what you can and helping us reach our fundraising goal. Every donation, big or small, will make a difference. Together, we can make a real impact for the families who need it most 💜.