FUNDRAISERS are inviting a community to have a ball to help a children’s hospital unit that saved the life of their colleague’s baby son.
Students Loans Company staff from across the region will stage a masquerade ball as they aim to raise thousands of pounds for the Children’s Heart Unit Fund (CHUF) at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital.
The organisation’s Make a Difference charity team organised a staff poll which voted to support CHUF, whose patrons are football legend Alan Shearer and comedy duo Ant and Dec.
They remember only too well the plight of SLC analyst Emma Wood who just days after giving birth to her son Alex saw him rushed to the specialist Newcastle heart unit fighting for his life.
“He wouldn’t feed and his lungs collapsed; he deteriorated so quickly and I ended up following the specialist incubator ambulance, light blazing sirens blaring, to Newcastle,” said Emma, of Darlington.
“From birth his feet were freezing and often blue and it turned out he had a congenital defect which made is aorta dangerously narrow. After sedating him for five days to stabilize his condition he was able to have heart surgery to save his life.
“The condition, coarctation of the aorta, affects one in 2,000 children and he will have to have check ups all his life. But, now nine, he has run the junior Great North Run and is doing really well. The Freeman is amazing and I’m so pleased everyone agreed to support it.”
Making a Difference team chairman Michelle Norris said: “We are hoping to exceed last year’s figure of almost £3,000 and really want the community to get behind the ball.
“Mowden Park Rugby Club has donated the room which is fantastic and we have had some great support from local businesses.
“This is about giving something back to the community, which is very important, and on this occasion it is particularly close to our hearts.”
The Phantom of the Opera masquerade ball will be staged at Mowden Park Rugby Football Club’s Northern Echo Arena on Saturday October 11 from 7pm to midnight.
Darlington Operatic Society member Lee Morris will sing accompanied by a 20-piece orchestra. There will be bubbly, sweet and savoury platters, games, an auction and a raffle.
Tickets are just £12.95 and available from Michelle by contacting her by email at michelle¬_norris@slc.co.uk. Michelle is also looking for extra prizes for the raffle.