Maternity ward fundraiser off to a grand start thanks to local father-to-be
A fundraising effort in aid of a north-east maternity ward is off to great start thanks to the efforts of a local father-to-be from Monymusk.
Having already tackled a marathon 72-holes in one day golfing effort, Michael Fyffe is looking to raise further funds with a special raffle.
He explained: "I am raising money for the Rubislaw Ward in Aberdeen following my partner and I suffering a missed miscarriage last September.
"The Rubislaw Ward at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital were amazing, offering support for us both during an extremely difficult time.
"From the advice we received to the care from all of the staff, they went above and beyond to make us feel as safe as possible in what was an extremely distressing time for the both of us.
"When we were unable to get an appointment with the GP after three months of complications following the missed miscarriage, the Rubislaw Ward were very understanding and immediately sought to help us.
"The complications resulted in my partner needing a surgical procedure during which everyone at Rubislaw were very empathetic and caring and led to her making a full recovery,
"We are now six months through our next pregnancy"
He continued: "I previously shared my feelings through social media as a man watching my partner going through all the complications of such a loss and feeling extremely out of my depth, not fully understanding or comprehending the thoughts and emotions I had, and pushing all of my feelings aside to be strong for her which in turn left me feeling like I didn't give myself the time to grieve such a profound and difficult period.
"After sharing my story I received an unbelievable amount of support and similar experiences from friends and family I had no idea had gone through such an ordeal, and I have since seen and heard many talking about Rubislaw Ward and the immense support they also received."
In order to help give back to the ward and support others, Michael had initially raised £535 through sponsorship in advance of playing 72 holes of golf in one day at Kemnay Golf Course this coming Friday, June 25 but wanted to go the extra mile to raise event more.
Having now broken through the £1000 mark he is aiming to raise even more thanks to the generosity of local supporters and businesses.
He said: "I have setting up a raffle ball to give people the option of 100 balls to choose from at £10 per ball.
"All you need to do is go to my justgiving page link which will be at the bottom of this post and pay for the amount of balls you have chosen using your name and then let me know through the facebook page.
"I will be doing a live draw through facebook once all of the numbers are sold."
Generous donations of prizes include Kemnay Farm Shop who have kindly donated an "Afternoon Tea for Two", the Burnett Arms with dinner for two, Cafe83 has donated a £50 voucher to spend in Cafe83 and the Bennachie Lodge Hotel which has recently passed into new ownership has donated a brilliant prize of a one night stay in a double room including a complimentary breakfast.
Watsons Inverurie donated a kitchen goods set, Belle Marie a 60 minute sunbed block, Netherton Farm Lodge a one night stay in their tranquil country escape, Melissa's Beauty Cave a Body Shop mystery bag and KatieCakes Preserves a food hamper.
The prize list continues with Castle Fraser Restaurant donated a dinner for two. Fennel Restaurant a boozy lunch for two, including two courses and prosecco and The Square a £25 voucher to be spent on food in the bar and restaurant
The final prize of the draw is going to be the grand prize for the evening for which Michael said: "My special thanks go to Michael at the Inverurie Whisky Shop who is donating, a stunning decorative refurbished Whisky Cask, a bottle of the newly released Minnesota Oak Glen Garioch Single Malt Whisky 61.1 per cent Distilled in 2012, and if that wasn't enough, a whisky tasting experience for two."
"Quite frankly I don't really know what to say about Michael and his unbelievable donations other than thank you so so much!
The Co-Operative Store in Kemnay will also be doing in=store fundraising from the end of July to The Rubislaw Ward.
For more information on the fundraiser visit https://www.facebook.com/rubislawwardaberdeen/
and see https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/rubislaw-ward-aberdeen?utm_term=ZdeY2PgWd
