Family fun day raises £3,000 for Aching Arms UK, Group B Strep Support and The Little Princess Trust

A family fun day to commemorate a little girl who died at just two days old ten years ago has raised over £3,000 for charity.

Melissa and Andy Barclay, from Rochdale, lost their first-born child, Madison Veda, to Group B Streptococcus (GBS) and meningitis in 2012 when she was just two-and-a-half days old.

As this year would mark Madison’s 10th birthday, her parents held a family fun day in her memory at Crompton Cricket Club in Shaw – with Melissa also shaving her head.

The Madison Veda Memorial Day on 18 April – the 10-year anniversary of the day they announced they were having their first child – raised in excess of £3,000 for two charities which supported the Barclays – Aching Arms UK, Group B Strep Support – and The Little Princess Trust. 

Melissa said: “It was an amazing day which came to a close with an emotional performance by Britain's Got Talent golden buzzer act Sign Along with us. 

“The children bounced played danced and even followed the Easter Bunny around. 

“A massive thank you goes to Crompton Cricket Club for allowing the use of their venue and to Reece-Ryan for his amazing hosting of the day.”

 

 

Group B Strep is a normal bacterium carried by up to a third of adults and up to a quarter of women. It usually poses no symptoms or side-effects.

According to the Group B Strep Support charity, approximately one in every 1,000 babies born in the UK develops the infection with two babies a day developing it. One baby dies from the infection each week, and one more baby survives with long-term disabilities - physical, mental or both.

It can be passed from mother to baby during labour and is harmless for most babies. For a small number, it can lead to blood poisoning, pneumonia and meningitis.

GBS is recognised to cause preterm delivery, maternal infections, stillbirths and late miscarriages; and preterm babies are known to be at particular risk of GBS infection as their immune systems are not as well developed.

Melissa and Andy later went on to have four sons, Xavier, Jaxon, Zachary and Xander.