Alex Grice had just given birth to twins, 15 weeks prematurely. The then 19-year-old was then told the news she was dreading - one of them, Ava, had suffered a brain haemorrhage, wouldn't survive the night and Alex needed to say her goodbyes.
“I can’t even explain it,” Alex, now 22, told the Manchester Evening News. “You can imagine the run of emotions I felt."
Miraculously, baby Ava survived her ordeal - but it wasn’t all plain sailing for the tot and her brother Archie. In total, the twins remained on the neonatal ward at Bolton Royal Hospital for a total of 120 days following their birth in July 2019. Their original due date had been October 17.
The pair needed 32 blood transfusions, oxygen for 12 months of their lives, lifesaving operations and constant care. When they were born at 25 weeks, the babies weighed a tiny 1lbs and nine ounces.
Alex, from Ramsbottom, says Ava arrived first after 45 minutes in theatre. Archie came second, one hour and four minutes after his sister was born. The tots were so tiny they could fit into Alex’s hand.
Despite their rough start in life, the pair, now aged three, are perfectly healthy and “thriving” at nursery. “We knew we were going to be in the neonatal unit for a long time,” Alex added.
“We went through a lot; it was really hard emotionally – more so because you just want to be able to help and there’s nothing you can do. They are inside an incubator and can’t do things like nappy changes with a full-term baby.
“The twins have no recollection of it and they don’t understand it. But what happens there is so intense and traumatic, you carry that forever. We just want to be able to give the unit something back. We want to give back to the people who helped us.”
The family are now hoping to raise funds for the Royal Bolton Hospital neonatal unit as well as Ronald McDonald House Charities and Bliss. Ronald McDonald House Charities helps house families nearby their children while they are in hospital, while Bliss supports families with babies in the neonatal unit.
Alex’s mother, Nicola Orrell, is set to host a third charity masquerade ball in aid of the charities while also raising awareness of World Prematurity Day on November 17. The night will include masquerade decor, a three-course meal, drinks on arrival, live music and entertainment. It’s hoped money raised from the ball will reach their target of £20,000. The ball is taking place on November 19 at the Last Drop Village Hotel in Bolton.
For more information, you can follow the link to the tickets page by clicking here.
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