Redditch Couple Raised £3K In Memory of Twins

A bereaved couple, from Redditch, who organised a charity night in memory of their twin baby boys have raised over £3,420 for our charity.

Georgina Agger-Haynes and her partner, Matt Clayton, held the event to raise funds for our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where their twin boys, Oliver and Jacob, both sadly passed away after they were born prematurely.

Georgina and Matt found out they were expecting twins when their son, Albie was just three-months-old. After the initial shock of their happy surprise and coming to terms with the fact their family of four, including Matt’s 10-year-old son, Luke, was about to become six, Georgina settled into what she hoped would be a straightforward pregnancy. Everything was going well until at 23-weeks pregnant, she started bleeding.

Georgina went to get checked over at her local hospital where doctors reassured her that everything was fine but less than two weeks later, she started having contractions. At just 25-weeks-pregnant, Georgina knew her babies wouldn’t be ready to be born yet and rushed back to the hospital.

After an examination doctors made the decision to transfer Georgina to our hospital for observation but no sooner had she arrived, her waters broke. Doctors immediately began to prepare Georgina for an emergency c-section, placing her under general anaesthetic to get her babies out as quickly as possible.

As soon as the babies were born, it became clear that Georgina had an infection that had turned into sepsis, which had been passed to both of her babies. Georgina was gravely ill and needed two blood transfusions which saved her life.

After waking up on our High Dependency Unit the next day, Georgina met Jacob and Oliver for the first time. Sadly though, over the next 24 hours, Georgina and Matt learned that both of their boys had suffered brain haemorrhages and were on life-support. Jacob’s condition was incredibly severe and at just three days and 20-hours-old, Georgina and Matt made the agonising decision to take him off life-support. Jacob passed away peacefully in their arms a short while later.

Georgina and Matt’s hearts were broken but they channelled everything they had left into Oliver’s recovery. Some days Oliver showed promising signs — breathing for himself and feeding on milk Georgina managed to express for him — other days he needed more help but the couple remained hopeful. However, when Oliver was 23-days-old, Georgina noticed he had begun making sudden movements. She called for help and doctors confirmed he was having a seizure. Despite receiving emergency treatment to try and stop the seizures, two days later, Oliver sadly passed away.

With their world shattered once more, Georgina and Matt planned a joint funeral for Jacob and Oliver. After the service Matt suggested to Georgina that they should hold an event to fundraise for our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where their boys had received their care.

The couple set to work, recruiting family members to help organise the best event possible for their babies. Matt’s dad, Steve Clayton, who regularly DJs at the Rocklands Club in Redditch, secured the venue and music for free, while Georgina and her family and friends fired emails to both local and national businesses, to ask for support with raffle and auction prizes to help raise cash.

Georgina said: “Saying goodbye to our boys was the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do and after their funeral, we just felt we wanted to create a legacy for them. That’s why we held our charity night to raise money for the hospital in their memory.

“The evening went so well, and as well as paying £10 for entry tickets, everyone who came along was so generous and really got involved with the raffle and auctions. There were some great prizes up for grabs, including a hot air balloon ride, which was donated by our funeral directors, Thomas Brothers and a signed Aston Villa Vs Bayern Munich programme which sold for £300. Matt’s workplace, Oakland International Ltd donated £500 too – we’re so grateful to all the businesses who helped us.”

Annie Eytle, Head of Public Fundraising at Birmingham Women’s Hospital Charity, said: “Georgina and Matt were faced with the unimaginable and we can’t thank them enough for supporting our hospital and charity at such a difficult time in their lives.

“The incredible funds they raised for our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will go on to help some of the most vulnerable babies when they need us most.”

If you’ve been inspired by Georgina and Matt’s story and fundraising, why not start your own fundraising journey, or donate to support our hospital.