THE family of a girl who died aged eight months having been born three months premature is raising money for charity in memory of their ‘little warrior’ this weekend.

Eva Hemingway was born in February weighing just 620g, and spent six-and-a-half months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at The Royal Oldham Hospital.

After time at home, she was rushed back to hospital with pneumonia and passed away peacefully in her mum’s arms on October 16.

Having organised the party with the intention of celebrating Eva’s homecoming, her mum Katie, along with partner Dean and sisters Miaha and Hope, say this weekend’s Shaw Heath Social Club event will go ahead in her memory.

The event, from 1pm on Sunday, November 19, aims to raise awareness of neo-natal illness and donate the takings from £3 tickets to the Oldham NICU.

Katie said: “It’s been a hard time, but the charity event was organised before she passed. It was intended to celebrate her coming home and to raise awareness.

“Unfortunately she won’t be there with us, but we still want to raise that awareness that these things can happen. We are doing it in her memory.

“There was a moment where I thought ‘do we still carry on with it’ but then I thought ‘we have got to’, because she fought so hard to come home and she got to go on holiday with her sisters. We have got to do it in memory of her.

“It’s our way of thanking the people who looked after her so well and saved her life.”

Katie is hoping for a strong turnout on Sunday, with a magician, a live band, cake decoration and food and more on offer, plus a raffle.

She said: “Lots of companies from Knutsford have donated. We went around the whole town and I think only about four companies couldn’t help us out. We have everything you could think of, really.

“So many people have been just brilliant - even the flyers we needed were printed for free. We have had so many people get involved and it’s just crazy. It’s amazing to see the community spirit, which is so strong in the area."

The family is hoping to raise £2,000 for the NICU through Sunday’s event and online donations at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/katie-hemingway