A HEARTBROKEN couple who lost their first child three days after her birth have raised £12,000 during a ball held in her memory.

Vicky and Alex Cornwell, both 36, of Scarcroft Road in York, lost their daughter Matilda in February after a difficult and complicated birth.

Before her death, Matilda was cared for by staff at Martin House Hospice, in Boston Spa, leading the determined couple to raise funds for the charity through a variety of events.

The York Racecourse ball was attended by 145 people and followed a 20-mile bike ride along the cycle track from York to Riccall in July, while a justgiving page for Matilda has already amassed £9,000 in donations for the hospice.

Mrs Cornwell, a pensions actuary, said: "We had a main raffle and an auction hosted by BBC Radio York, and a silent eBay-style auction.

"The support has been overwhelming and local businesses have been so generous.

"My friends works at the Houses of Parliament and she offered a tour which sold for £400. We had a giant teddy bear that went for £300 and a trip to London sold for about £550.

As reported previously, the couple are keen to re-pay the hospice after they both stayed at the hospice for a couple of days until they felt ready to go home, and staff dealt with registering the birth and death and organising midwife check-ups and funeral arrangements.

Mrs Cornwell added: "It was a complicated birth and they don't know why. I had a really healthy pregnancy and a normal birth on Valentines Day.

"We will do an event every year and do different things because lots of my friends have been doing sponsored events.

"It's something I want to do to remember her by because it makes me feel like we are giving something back."

To donate money to the hospice visit www.justgiving.com/MatildaCornwell