Family and friends raise £3,700 in memory of tragic Talywain baby (From South Wales Argus)

Family and friends raise £3,700 in memory of tragic Talywain baby

1:10pm Tuesday 8th January 2013 in News

BORN prematurely, weighing just 500g – around a pound – Seren Olivia Witcombe died on July 29 after a seven-month battle.

Since then her family and her friends have raised £3,700 in her memory.

Seren, of Talywain, weighed just 10lb at the time of her death. She spent all her life in hospital, both in Southampton where her mum Sian Evans, who suffers from cardiac problems, has consultants, and at the Royal Gwent.

Wanting to keep her cherished memory alive, family and friends including Ms Evans, Seren’s dad Daley Witcombe and friends of the family, including sisters Joanne and Jenna Powell, grouped together to raise the funds.

The money has now been handed over to staff at the neonatal unit at Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital, which cared for the youngster during her final months.

Events held to raise the funds, with the help of businesses and community groups, included a sponsored walk, a teddy bear’s picnic, a coffee morning, a children’s Christmas party and charity nights.

Joanne Powell said: “We just want to thank the people who have supported us, including local businesses who have provided us with venues, and thank you to everyone who has made a donation.”

The Argus previously reported that Ms Evans described her “beautiful” baby daughter’s battle for life.

She said: “Her lungs just never grew with her body. She was a beautiful baby. She spent the whole seven months putting up a good fight. We will always treasure the time we had with her.”