A WOMAN from Hagley has raised over £18,000 at a charity ball in aid of Birmingham Women’s Hospital Charity.

Lynette Parkes hosted an event at Spring Grove House in West Midland Safari Park where guests enjoyed entertainment, a three-course meal and a silent auction and raffle.

Birmingham Women’s Hospital Charity has been campaigning for a standalone bereavement centre for the hospital which is named the Woodland House appeal.

Lynette has supported the appeal since it launched in April 2019 after her son, James, was stillborn six years ago.

Lynette said: “It is so hard to be in a place that is so geared up for new life when you’ve just lost a baby, so having Woodland House will mean so much to families at Birmingham Women’s Hospital facing the unbearable pain of losing their child.”

Bromsgrove Advertiser: Lynette held a charity ball at West Midland Safari Park to raise money for Birmingham Women’s Hospital Charity’s Woodland House Appeal. Lynette held a charity ball at West Midland Safari Park to raise money for Birmingham Women’s Hospital Charity’s Woodland House Appeal.

When built, Woodland House will be the first of its kind in a hospital setting featuring separate and private access, meaning there’s no chance of running into pregnant families.

Lynette added: “I always knew I would hold a ball in James’s memory and the Woodland House Appeal was the perfect fit. I was totally overwhelmed by the support I received in making it happen too.

Bromsgrove Advertiser: Lynette and Matt's son James was stillborn six years ago. Lynette and Matt's son James was stillborn six years ago.

"So many people got behind it and I’m over the moon with the amount we raised together to help make Woodland House happen.”

Miranda Williams, head of public fundraising at Birmingham Women’s Hospital Charity, said: “With just £1million left to raise, Woodland House is in reach of becoming a reality for the 2,000 women and families who experience pregnancy and baby loss at our hospital every year.

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“We’re so grateful to Lynette for bravely sharing her story and of course for her incredible fundraising which has brought us another step closer to setting a new standard of care for bereaved families experiencing pregnancy and baby loss.”