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Fifty Shades of Grey charity event will help raise money for Kent Sands, a stillbirth and neonatal death charity

A woman and her two sisters are hosting a special Fifty Shades of Grey evening in aid of the Kent Sands charity after her baby was stillborn at 25 weeks.

Charlotte Bassett and her partner Glenn Rogers lost their son, Blake Peton Bassett-Rogers in September last year.

Miss Bassett, who found out she was pregnant in April 2014, discovered she was expecting a boy after her 21-week scan.

Charlotte Bassett with sisters Georgina Varnals and Leigh Knight
Charlotte Bassett with sisters Georgina Varnals and Leigh Knight

However, at the beginning of September, when she was nearly 25 weeks, she noticed her baby hadn’t kicked for a few days.

She said: “I sensed something wasn’t right but couldn’t figure out what it was. I realised I hadn’t felt him move and I mentioned it to a colleague.

Miss Bassett, 25, called her midwife who scanned her but, sadly, couldn’t hear a heartbeat.

“I thought to myself it was taking a long time to find the heartbeat,” she added.

“The midwife tried to stay calm, but I could see it in her face.”

Fifty Shades of Grey movie starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson
Fifty Shades of Grey movie starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson

Charlotte, from Great Chart, was advised to go to the hospital and called her mum to pick her up and drive her there.

“When I got there people were waiting for me. They took me to a room and scanned my stomach. It was dead silent in the room,” she said.

Charlotte, who by then had been joined by Glenn, was told she had lost her baby.

Two days later she gave birth to Blake.

She adds: “I could hear babies crying and saw mums feeding on the ward. Its very raw to see other new mums.

“I’ve spoken to people who have gone through the same thing.”

Charlotte has placed a stone for Blake in the Ashford Baby Garden
Charlotte has placed a stone for Blake in the Ashford Baby Garden

A stone has been placed in Ashford’s baby memorial garden for Blake, and a bench in his honour can be found on Hythe seafront.

Now, Charlotte, along with her sisters Georgina Varnals, 28, and Leigh Knight, 34, want to raise awareness of stillbirths and raise funds for Kent Sands, a stillbirth and neonatal death charity.

They have organised a screening of the hotly anticipated new film Fifty Shades of Grey at Ashford’s Cineworld on Tuesday, February 24 in aid of the charity, which supports anyone affected by the death of a baby.

More than 150 women are set to attend the sell-out show, which has raised more than £1,000 from ticket sales alone so far.

The night will also include a raffle, male butlers dressed as leading man Christian Grey and all attendees will receive a goody bag.

The sisters hope the film fundraiser will be the first of many, and are already considering doing half marathons and the Three Peaks Challenge later in the year.

Anyone interested in helping fundraise or donating should email Mrs Knight at leighmknight@hotmail.com.

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