Parents who will be forever grateful to the medics at Royal Bolton Hospital for looking after their twins who were born at just 25 weeks have handed just under £20,000 in the way of a thank you.

Alex Grice, from Bury, and her partner Declan's twins Archie and Ava spent 126 days at Bolton Neonatal Unit.

To celebrate the work the hospital does they helped to host a World Prematurity Day Charity Ball last November which raised just under £20,000.

Alex said: “It was important to give something back to thank all of the people who helped care for Archie and Ava.

“I’d like say a huge thanks to Nicola Orrell, the twins’ nanny, who is the backbone of the charity ball.”

Bury Times: Royal Bolton HospitalRoyal Bolton Hospital (Image: Newsquest)

The family have previously raised £5,500 for Bolton Neonatal unit and raised a total of £19,555 at the November event.

The money was raised to support charities including Our Bolton NHS charity which received £6,518.33 from the total.

The donation will be used to redecorate the entrance to the neonatal Unit, making it feel more welcoming for families and less clinical.

Plans are also in place to create a graduation wall that will give hope to parents whose babies are being cared for at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Neonatal unit matron Cath Banbridge said: “We would again like to thank Alex and Dec for another generous contribution and for their ongoing support of the Bolton NICU.

“We are proud and privileged to have been part of Ava and Archie’s journey and in turn the donations received will also help us to support and help other families.”

Bury Times: Archie and Ava GriceArchie and Ava Grice

Our Bolton NHS Charity works to support patients and their families across all kinds of areas at the Minerva Road hospital and across the community more broadly.

The money raised by Alex and Declan, also from Bury, will be vital to helping the organisation carry on their work with premature babies and their parents.

Charity engagement coordinator Abdul Goni said: “We are extremely grateful to receive another generous donation from Alex and her family, and would like to send out a heartfelt thank you for their continued and loyal support.”