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Family raise thousands for Bolton NICU in memory of their ‘Mighty Millie Princess Warrior’
- Family fundraising thousands of pounds for Royal Bolton Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
- Millie O’Malley was born prematurely and bravely fought to be with her parents for 33 days
- Her family have created a trilogy of fundraising events in her memory, including a 330km run
A family is raising thousands of pounds in memory of their special daughter who was born prematurely and received care at Royal Bolton Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Millie O’Malley was born prematurely at week 22 and 6 days, weighing just 486g, and bravely fought to be with her parents, Fintan and Becca, in NICU for 33 days.
On Friday 27 September at 8.42pm, the exact date and time Millie was born, Fintan, will set off from Royal Bolton Hospital’s memorial garden to run 330km in her memory.
I have a burning desire and a duty to honour my daughter’s life because she deserves her story to be told and she deserves to have her own legacy.
“The date and time I’m setting off symbolise Millie’s date of birth, the memorial garden is where I held her in my arms during her final hour. This is where we looked up to the stars to tell her who was waiting for her as she felt the cool, calm breeze on her face for the only time during her short life.
“The 33 in the 330km symbolises the 33 days Millie was with us and the 0 is the symbol of eternity, because she will always be in our hearts and she will always be a part of our family.
The extraordinary challenge will see Fintan embark on an ultramarathon run around the West Pennine Moors, with the total elevation that is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest.
Millie was perfect, she was beautiful with a perfect little nose and perfect little toes, but she was also a little fighter.
“The consultant said that she defied the odds of medical expectations for someone so premature, and earned herself the nickname ‘Mighty Millie Princess Warrior’.
“Millie dealt with so much in her short life and had a big personality that captivated the hearts of everyone. We are so proud of our little Angel and are forever grateful that she chose us to be her parents.
A trilogy of events
Fintan and Becca have a community of supporters around them, as they aim to reach an incredible fundraising total of £33,000.
In August, they invited people to take part in a 33 day challenge in honour of Millie, which included daily 5km runs, going sugar free, whilst Millie’s mum Becca completed 33 minute runs, 33 deadlifts, 33 squats, 33 sit ups and 33 biceps curls.
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Ilona Alcock, a close family friend, said:
We’re really trying to have a positive impact on people who have taken part. It’s so important we continue to keep the conversation going and keep Millie’s name close in people’s hearts and minds.
Earlier in the year, around 100 people came together for a special night at Hotel Football in Manchester for Mille’s ‘Legacy Dinner’.
TV and radio presenters, Gethin Jones and Helen Skelton, hosted the evening, which included an interview with Fire from Gladiators about her remarkable career competing in the Olympics and a raffle that raised more than £4,000 for Our Bolton NHS Charity.
Fintan speaks openly about the heartache of baby loss, miscarriages and the difficult journey of IVF, to provide support and courage to others.
After we lost the one thing we both wanted so badly, it broke our hearts, it almost broke our spirit, so much so we had nothing left but hope.
“To those of you out there who have tried in the past and it didn’t work, or to those of you who are currently trying for a baby and it hasn’t happened yet, please don’t give up on hope.
“After almost 7 years of trying and after the loss of Millie, all we had left was the hope in our hearts that if we kept putting it out into the universe, the universe would provide.
“If you are going through something similar, we empathise deeply with you. Be kind to yourself, be kind to each other, be there for each other and keep your dream alive with the hope in your hearts.
The family also want to remove the stigma of talking about child loss, and the grief and trauma that comes with it.
Hopefully we can help other parents to open up about their feelings and their journey of navigating grief because I feel very fortunate that Becca and I have come through this together.
“We want people to say Millie’s name and to speak to us about her because she was here, she is in our hearts and she will always be a part of our family.
To date, they have already raised more than £17,000 for Our Bolton NHS Charity.
Sarah Skinner, Charity Manager at Our Bolton NHS Charity, said:
Fintan and Becca, thank you for sharing your story and beautiful message of hope. It’s a privilege to support you with your fundraising and to work with you to make an unforgettable difference to other families, in Millie’s name.
To donate, please visit their JustGiving page.