Poignant party will boost a good cause and honour the memory of couple’s baby boy

Sarah Rees is staging a fundraising cocktail party in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital as a thank you for all the care they gave to her baby son Theo who sadly died. (Image: Archant)

Now, instead of staging a second birthday party for him on January 31, she is organising a fund-raising cocktail party at The Dining Room in Great Yarmouth.

The event is to thank Great Ormond Street Hospital in London for their comfort and care.

Mrs Rees, a PR ambassador at Sainsbury in Yarmouth, had a dream pregnancy until her 20-week scan threw up a problem with the baby's heart. Experts diagnosed truncus arteriosus, a condition where the heart has only one artery instead of two.

Mrs Rees was induced at 38 weeks, and 9lb 2oz Theo was taken to the specialist children's hospital for tests and critical care.

His condition held well for the first 10 days but then took a turn for the worse. Surgeons operated to create an extra artery, but he later went into cardiac arrest.

Sarah and husband Sheldon, 35, endured a 'roller-coaster' few weeks before Theo died on March 13, 2012. Mr Rees, a bus driver, has raised around £5,000 by taking part in the Great North Run and the couple, from Roman Way, Caister, are keen to follow up those donations with money raised to mark Theo's second birthday.

Mrs Rees hopes the main money-spinner at the cocktail party will be the raffle and is appealing to businesses to help out with prizes.

She said: 'I saw him open his eyes a few times and I did change his nappy. It was nice that I was able to hold him and have him for a really short time. I treasure every memory.'

To donate, email sarah.molly@ntlworld.com

Are you raising money for a good cause? Email newsdesk@archant.co.uk