A PENDLE couple who lost their baby last year have used their personal tragedy to raise funds for midwives in East Lancashire.

Kate and Mike Holland, of Barrowford, presented £3,500 worth of state-of-the art equipment to hospital bosses at Burnley General Hospital.

The money was used to buy six portable Doppler baby heart monitors for use by the community midwives, three cots and a settee for a patient room.

The couple asked family and friends to make donations, instead of buying flowers, after baby Mary was still-born last year.

And they intend to continue with their fundraising efforts when Mike and a team of friends head to Africa to climb 20,000ft up Mount Killimanjaro in Africa.

Their aim is to raise a mammoth £40,000 for the unit in a bid to help replace old equipment.

Mike, 32, a director at Connolly Construction in Accrington, said: "When we lost baby Mary we wanted to do something to help the hospital.

"We just hope that this equipment will help other parents not to go through the same thing that we went through.

"We plan to do all we can to help raise as much as possible for the hospital because all the staff were so supportive and helpful at such a sad time in our lives."

A group of 10 friends are planning to make the expedition in August and have a tough training regime to prepare for it .

Mike added: "The altitude and the weather will make it difficult but I have been working hard to make sure that I achieve what I set out to achieve."

Kate, 31, a marketing manager at the Trafford Centre, added: "Mike and some of his friends are going to do the Kilimanjaro climb in August, which will hopefully raise lots of money for the hospital to buy even more equipment.

"We are hoping to set up a fund for the hospital and would appreciate any pledges of sponsorship from people wanting to help."

The couple received care and support from the SANDS group which was set up to help people who have lost children to still-birth.

Carol Boothman, lead midwife at Burnley General Hospital, said: "The money that Mike and Kate have raised is fantastic. It will help equip our midwives with vital foetal heart monitoring equipment which are to be used in the community.

"We would like to thank them for all their efforts."

Anybody wanting to sponsor Mike or help raise funds should contact Carol at Burnley General on 01282 474239.