Emily Harris Foundation – Ladies Night and Tombola – 26 October 2021

Angela, Neil, Clare and Karol

At our Ladies’ Night last Tuesday, we were pleased to welcome our President’s wife Clare to speak to us about the Emily Harris Foundation which she and Neil founded 13 years ago when they lost a very young baby.

Clare explained the background to the Foundation:

Emily Nasia Harris was born 6 weeks prematurely on 5th September 2006 at Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, weighing 3lb ½oz. It had been identified during the pregnancy that she was suffering from a serious heart condition, Truncus Arteriosis, and had also been having problems growing in the womb.

Against the odds, Emily survived for nearly 5 months, spending much of her time in hospitals in Mansfield and Birmingham before being allowed home on 14 December. Emily spent just over the next two weeks at home where many happy memories were made. However, she then picked up a virus on the same day when Birmingham hospital said that they were ready to operate and had to be taken back to hospital and was transferred to Leeds where despite her frailty and size she fought that virus, but developed another which she was unable to recover from.

Emily passed away into heaven in her Mummy’s arms on 1 February 2007.

Clare explains what the Foundation does

Neil and Clare decided to set up the Foundation in Emily’s memory so that help can be given to neo-natal babies. The Foundation supports the Neo-Natal Unit at King’s Mill Hospital here in Mansfield. It offers help in a number of different ways: by providing financial support for staff who wish to undergo further training, especially where that funding is not supported by the NHS; and to provide relief for parents, especially those suffering hardship, whose babies are receiving treatment and care on the unit. Some of the latter covers transport for parents unable to cover their daily travel costs, meal vouchers so that parents can have a few minutes away from the unit to relax and enjoy something to eat, Welcome packs with essentials (nappies, bibs, a blanket, cotton balls, a diary, and a scented heart-shaped bath bomb.

It goes without saying that all of this support needs people to raise money and very often it is the parents or their relatives who undertake a wide range of activities to do so. In the past, there have been marathons run, 10k races undertaken, competitors in the Great North Run, parachute jumpers, and social events such as quizzes and dinners at local restaurants. One supporter is taking on the challenge of running from Land’s End to John O’Groats in between his work commitments – this is made a little more straightforward as he does the running locally and has his miles recorded virtually. You can check him out here, though it looks like he has completed the full distance now.

Karol and Angela’s new grandson was recently the beneficiary of care from both the neo-natal unit and Clare, so they decided to provide a number of prizes tonight for a Tombola. Thanks to the generosity of everyone who attended, we raised £200 and were able to present the money to Clare.

Category : Catenians