A MUM whose two-year-old son suffered two strokes is turning what had been her planned wedding date into a Halloween charity ball to give back to those who helped save his life.
In August 2023, Emma Daniels, a mum of two, took her youngest son, Jack, to A&E.
What followed was every parent's worst nightmare, with weeks in hospital involving tests, scans, drips, blood transfusions and procedure after procedure.
Jack had severe anaemia, which resulted in two blood clots in his brain and caused the then two-year-old to suffer two strokes.
It was touch and go, but Jack, now almost five, fought every step of the way and defied the odds to come through the ordeal with no noticeable side effects.
Emma puts this down to the care he received, firstly at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and then during a prolonged stay at Alder Hey Children's Hospital.
Emma said: “I cannot stress enough how truly grateful I am for the care we received.
“Dr G. Macey at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, who first identified the clots in Jack's brain, went over and above in her diligence and care, even after we had been totally dismissed by other professionals. She is a total hero.
“Then, once we were transferred to Alder Hey, the whole team were phenomenal.
“We were looked after and kept informed every step of the way, and nothing was too much trouble for these wonderful humans who saved Jack's life.
“I can't imagine where Jack and I would be without them, and now I want to start giving something back.”
When Emma's planned wedding fell through, she decided to turn the occasion into an opportunity to raise money.
She said: “After everything I went through with Jack, I wasn't about to let something little like this knock me down.
“I'd already booked the venue - and the date was going to be my favourite night of the year: Halloween! So I figured that we might as well make a real event of it for a good cause!”
Emma enlisted the help of her friend and business partner, Nia Cooke Taylor, who was looking to raise funds for local animal charity North Clwyd Animal Rescue (NCAR).
Emma and Nia founded Finer Forage, based at HTM Business Park in Rhuddlan.
Finer Forage is a completely natural, species-appropriate feeding system which can be tailored to suit the needs of an individual horse or herd.
Nia has long supported NCAR and her horse Reno, whose passport name is Cacareno Junior, was adopted through the charity.
Reno was passed from home to home across Europe, including Spain and France, before being imported to the UK.
At one point, he was sold for £1 before eventually ending up at NCAR.
On December 24, 2023, Reno found his new home with Nia and later carried her to the aisle for her wedding.
Nia said: “He is just a beautiful soul, and I can't believe anyone would want to give him up.
“Once he feels safe, he really opens up, and is the most giving, kind and stunning boy ever (even if he is a little cheeky at times!).
“NCAR do such brilliant work, and times are so hard for so many people, but often it's the animals that suffer - it's great that we can try to help.”
Together, Emma and Nia decided to hold a Halloween Ball to raise funds for Alder Hey Children's Hospital and North Clwyd Animal Rescue.
- Tickets are limited and must be bought in advance.
- Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite.
- For more information, email emma@finerforage.co.uk
The event, organised through Finer Forage, will take place at Llangollen Town Hall on October 31, 2026, starting at 6.30pm.
The adults-only event costs £20, including a drink on arrival, refreshments and entertainment.
There will be themed performances by aerialist Tiesha Maelor and vintage singers The Goodnight Sweethearts, as well as a raffle featuring prizes donated by local businesses and other opportunities to raise money for the two causes.
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