A COVENTRY mother is giving something back to the charity which saved her son’s life.
When Katherine Sherratt gave birth to Harry nine weeks early at Coventry’s University Hospital, doctor and nurses from the Grace Research Fund worked around the clock to provide the youngster, weighing just 2lb 3oz, with around-the-clock specialist neonatal care.
Now, the mum-of-three will volunteer at this year’s Grace Research Fund Summer Party as a way of saying thank you to the charity.
Healthy Harry, now aged ten months, will be joining his sisters, five-year-old Elsie and four-year-old Grace, at the free family-friendly event which will feature a bouncy castle, balloon race, stalls, a lucky dip and tombola.
Speaking about the inspiration behind her volunteering, Katharine said all the doctors and nurses from the charity were ‘amazing for Harry and my whole family’.
She added: “At last year’s summer party, Harry was in intensive care and we were aware the event was taking place because parents and children were coming to see the nurses and doctors who had looked after them.
“I have been checking the calendar of events on Grace Research Fund’s website because we thought it would be nice to take Harry this year.
“I contacted the charity because when we held Harry’s christening we asked family and friends that if they were thinking of bringing along a present to instead make a donation to the Grace Research Fund and we raised £800 and that led to me volunteering to take charge of the refreshments at the summer party.”
The Grace Research Fund, based within the University of Warwick, supports local research into improving babies’ health, and how to better understand what parents and families need to look after their premature babies successfully.
Dr Andy Coe, consultant paediatrician at University Hospital, said the Grace Research Fund Summer Party was a fantastic occasion for staff on the neonatal and special care baby units to catch-up with their former patients.
He added: “It is always incredible to see babies who were born prematurely thrive into lively toddlers and we love to see them and their parents at the party.
“We are always grateful when mums like Katharine raise money for the Grace Research Fund and it is very kind of her to join our fantastic volunteers because their support is much-needed for the event to be successful.”
