A woman who started a prematurity awareness day after her twin grandchildren were born 15 weeks early is set to host the event for the fifth time. Nicola Orrell, 44, started the World Prematurity Day charity ball following the early birth of "lovely" twins Ava and Archie. Her charity ball raises funds for causes like Ronald McDonald House Charities UK, which provides free "home-away-from-home" accommodation and support for families with children in hospital.
It will take place at 6.30pm on Saturday, November 9 at Last Drop Village Hotel and Spa in Bromley Cross. Ms Orrell, from Bury, who is managing director at Salford's Edison Media, said: "In July 2019, my lovely twin grandchildren, Ava and Archie, entered the world three months early, facing numerous challenges from their very first moments.
What Ms Orrell witnessed on the neonatal intensive care unit following her grandchildrens' birth made her aware of the need for more funds to support parents of premature children (Image: Supplied) "Having personally experienced this as a grandparent, I recognise the critical need for essential lifesaving equipment, family accommodation, and support for families undergoing similar life-changing experiences." Alex Grice, the mother of Ava and Archie, gave birth to the babies at Royal Bolton Hospital and the pair arrived weighing a respective 1lb 9oz and 1lb 12oz. The babies' grandmother spent many hours in the neonatal intensive care unit, bearing witness not only to her own family's ex.
