Couple hold ball for Good Hope’s bereavement services

Sophie and Jordan Langstaff tragically lost their twin baby boys in 2018 at Good Hope Hospital and have since dedicated their time to raising money for the bereavement services at the hospital that treated them.

Fraser James was born on 15 May and passed away shortly after being born, and Parker James was born two days later and also passed away after being born. The couple were able to keep their sons close thanks to the CuddleCot which keeps the baby cool, allowing parents to spend longer with them after they have been born.

After this incredibly difficult time, Sophie and Jordan were taken to the Snowdrop Suite, Good Hope’s Bereavement Suite, where parents can spend time with their babies and receive specialist support from the staff on the ward.

The couple decided to host a ball after being at Good Hope Hospital to help raise money to improve the bereavement services offered at the hospital which has raised an incredible £40,000!

The Butterfly Ball, held at the Abbey Hotel in Malvern, was immensely popular and welcomed 200 guests for an evening of entertainment, an auction, raffle, dinner, a night’s stay at the hotel and breakfast in the morning.

Lisa Perks, Sophie’s mum, helped organise the ball, and talking about the night, she said: “The support and hard work leading up to the event by our friends and family was unbelievable. The room looked amazing for our guests, thanks to the hard work again of our friends and family.

“Sophie and Jordan have been completely overwhelmed by the love and support that has been shown to them over the last year since the twins were born. The pain of losing their twin boys will never leave them but their fundraising for the bereavement suite will now ensure that parents having to go through this heartbreaking experience in the future, can now do so in a more private and appropriate facility at Good Hope Hospital.”

The money they have raised will be going towards a new delivery suite for parents who sadly know that they are going to experience a stillbirth or neonatal death. Mothers going through this currently have to give birth on the traditional delivery suite surrounded by other mothers who may be giving birth to healthy babies. The Charity wants to support those who go through this in the best way possible and make sure that they have the best care at the hospital.

The main auction raised just under £5,000 and included signed Bohemian Rhapsody memorabilia, Spice Girls tickets, a Porsche Track Day at Silverstone, and a bespoke sterling silver butterfly bracelet that was made exclusively for the Butterfly Ball. As well as the main auction, there was also a silent auction which continued throughout the whole night to give guests a chance to see the items and place their bids. The items included a Virgin hot air balloon flight, a week in a cottage in Wales and a signed and framed Aston Villa shirt!

All of the generous auction pieces were added to by the amazing donation of a Harley Davidson! Raffle tickets are currently available and you could be in with a chance of winning the bike! There are only 200 tickets available at £100 each and all money raised will be going towards the total raised. The draw will happen on 4 March! You can find out more and get your tickets here: hospitalcharity.org/shop/product/harley-davidson-raffle

Talking about the evening, Sophie said: “The evening was a huge success and with the help of everyone in attendance we managed to totally exceed all expectations and raise a huge amount of money! Both myself and Jordan are massively grateful to everyone for their extremely generous contributions and know that thanks to them, the Bereavement Suite will become a reality.

“It will provide grieving parents the chance to give birth in a comfortable environment, and will most importantly, give them the time they need to make precious memories that will certainly last a lifetime!”

To find out more about the bereavement services at Good Hope Hospital and how you can join the Langstaff family in raising money to improve them, please click here.