A COUPLE who live in Launceston are trying to raise money for presents for the babies, their parents and siblings of babies on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Derriford Hospital.

Rebecca Jefferies and Andrew Jackson, who set up the charity Bobby’s Little Angels after one of their twins, Bobby was born sleeping last year, said: “They won’t have the pleasure of having their baby(s) at home this year and with a small or big donation you could help to lift their Christmas day with a present.”

It is the first year they have decided to collect donations for Christmas presents for the NICU, where Bobby’s twin Freddy spent 63 days.

Bobby and Freddy suffered from ‘twin to twin syndrome’ in the womb. Twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a disease of the placenta (or afterbirth) that affects identical twin pregnancies.

It happens when there is an imbalance in the placental blood vessels that connect both twins. If the blood does not flow evenly between the twins, one gets more blood, called the recipient twin, while the other gets less blood — the donor twin.

The uneven blood flow results in the recipient twin growing too big, due to the extra nutrients and fluid he is receiving, and the donor twin growing too slowly.

Sadly, Bobby passed away. As the bigger twin, he was receiving blood and nutrients from Freddy, and his heart overloaded.

The charity aims to deliver the presents on Christmas Eve, although Andrew said if they raise enough, he will dress up as Father Christmas and deliver the presents on Christmas Day.

They hope their idea will be well supported so they can do it again next year as well.

People can donate on the Facebook page by searching ‘Bobby’s Little Angels’ or via the donate button on the website www.bobbys-little-angels.co.uk

They are accepting donations until December 9.