Northampton mum's fundraiser raises more than £8,000 in memory of five-week-old son
A Northampton mum, who tragically lost her son at the age of only five weeks, has raised more than £8,000 in his memory.
Clara Allen, from Spratton, launched the fundraiser in April after her son Stanley died on March 30 this year – two days after he was allowed home. Stanley had been in various hospitals for more than month after he was born at 30 weeks on February 20.
The 32-year-old mum wanted to do something positive in Stanley’s name and decided to launch the fundraiser in a bid to raise enough money to buy more reclining chairs for the Gosset Ward – where Stanley spent much of his life – to make other families’ time in hospital more comfortable.
The fundraiser was closed towards the end of April and, amazingly, the family raised £8,205.
Clara said: “We can't get over how supportive and generous family, friends and beautiful strangers have been. Massive thank you to everyone who donated!
"East Haddon Primary school and Mulberry House Clinic have been very kind with their donations and I’m not able to put into words how much you have all helped us to heal.
“When something like this happens you can’t help but hate the world and how cruel it can be but everyone’s kindness really has restored our faith in humanity.”
Clara says there are only a handful of big, reclining chairs on the ward. If none of the chairs are available, parents are offered what Clara described as like waiting room chairs. In Clara’s opinion, the reclining chairs are needed, as babies on the ward are often linked up to many tubes and the ‘waiting room’ chairs “don’t allow you to have a strong enough hold on them”.
Clara said previously: “Some mornings you would come in and the chair was gone next to your incubator.
“The nurses hated it and I overheard them talking about doing some fundraising. I said that me and Stanley wanted to help once we got out of there.
Clara, her husband Matt, and Stanley’s three sisters – Bobbi, Avalyn and Josey – all attended the Gosset Ward to present nurses there with a giant cheque. The money will be put towards purchasing more reclining chairs.