You can't mask the fact that things are always left to me!
If there is ever any family party or event it’s usually due to me organising it as this is totally my thing and I just love it.
There is just something about organising that I love, whether its birthday parties, naming ceremonies, hen parties, baby showers, Christmas get togethers, Halloween parties... you name it I’ve probably organised it.
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Hide AdPaul more often than not takes a step back and leaves me to it, usually saying something along the lines of “Oh you can do it better than me, you like this kind of thing” which is true, I suppose, and he’s not the best at organising anything !
The event that we (used loosely!) decided to organise is a charity ball.
For those who do not know, in April 2012 our lives changed forever.
Our son Luca was born sleeping 10 weeks premature.
Ava, his surviving sister, spent weeks in intensive care fighting her own battles.
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Hide AdAva, now aged four, will never know a life with her twin brother.
Her birthdays are celebrated but with the sad heartbreak that we are also mourning the loss of our son on her birthdays.
Our eldest daughter, Madison, who was seven at the time, was old enough to know what had happened and Rocco, who was born a year later, will never know life with an older brother to guide him.
Although regularly donating to the neonatal unit at the Royal Preston Hospital, Paul and I always knew we wanted to organise something but to be perfectly honest I never felt strong enough and, as it is now approaching five years, the time now feels right.
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Hide AdWe decided to call the event The Twin Ball as it is in memory of Luca and in celebration of Ava’s life.
The charity we decided to raise funds for is The Baby Beat Appeal (www.babybeat.co.uk).
Baby Beat aims to maintain and raise standards in preventative care and foetal wellbeing.
Baby Beat covers three main areas in maternity services, including research into premature births and stillbirths, providing the latest technology and monitoring and also bereavement support.
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Hide AdPlanning a charity ball given the circumstances through heartbreak and grief has brought back so many emotions and has definitely been a learning process but one that I have throughly enjoyed nonetheless.
At times I did worry I was a little out of my depth and anxious about not being able to sell tickets but I was blown away at just how many people wanted to attend and we sold out within two weeks!
Which was just fantastic.
We are also lucky enough to secure sponsorship from Campbells Caravans, Irwin Mitchell solicitors and Preston North End Community Trust.
I hope the night is a success and everyone enjoys themselves. We have opted for a Masquerade theme and some guests jokingly asked if this was code for wife swapping!!!
I’m not sure exactly what fun they intend in having!
• The Twin Ball will be taking place on Saturday March 11 at Ribby Hall.