A young Mile Cross couple have gone from tragedy to joy in just one year after they suffered the heartbreak of a stillbirth but went on to have baby twin boys.

A young Mile Cross couple have gone from tragedy to joy in just one year after they suffered the heartbreak of a stillbirth but went on to have baby twin boys.

Christine Samways, 22, and Darren Horsfall, 24, have raised nearly �1,000 for the midwifery-led birthing unit (MLBU) at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in memory of their daughter Daisy-May who died in May last year, just 12 days before she was due to be born.

The couple's gift has helped to buy hand-held foetal monitors which will help other mums and dads to hear their babies' heartbeats during labour.

The community of Mile Cross came together to help them organise a daisy-themed fun day at the Boundary Pub last August, which helped them to raise some of the money, as well as a charity football match and a donation from Mr Horsfall's employer, Kettle Foods.

Miss Samways said she wanted to give the money to the hospital after the amazing support they had from the midwifery team there following the stillbirth of Daisy-May.

She said: 'They were really helpful when I had Daisy-May and I couldn't have done it without them.

'I knew I wanted the money to go to the hospital.'

The couple, who are planning to move into a flat together in Bullard Road in Mile Cross, also had a turbulent time with the birth of their twin boys William and Joshua.

Miss Samways was carrying excess amniotic fluid and ended up having to be admitted to hospital when she was 31 weeks pregnant.

She said: 'The same thing happened as before and I nearly lost Joshua.'

The twins were born eight weeks early on March 1, and had to be cared for at the N&N's neonatal intensive care unit for several weeks before being allowed home.

Miss Samways said: 'I love them to bits and I'm glad they're both here but they won't take Daisy's place.

'We'd love more children but I'm worried because we've been through so much and I don't want to go through it all again.'

Glynis Moore, head of midwifery at the N&N, said: 'We are very grateful to Christine and her family for thinking of how they could help others at what must have been a very difficult time for them.

'The monies raised have been used to purchase hand held monitors for the MLBU to enable 'mums to be' to hear their baby's heart beat during labour whilst still being mobile or in the birthing pool.'

A total of 17 babies die every day in the UK, of which 11 are stillbirths and six are neonatal deaths.

The stillbirth rate has remained almost unchanged for the past 10 years and for over half of all stilllbirths the cause remains unexplained.

Sands is the stillbirth and neonatal death charity which supports anyone affected by the death of a baby and has a helpline on 020 7436 5881.

Do you have a health story for the Evening News? Contact Evening News reporter Kim Briscoe on 01603 772419 or email kim.briscoe@archant.co.uk