A FUNDRAISING mum from Sidmouth has her heart set on adding to the thousands of pounds she’s netted for two separate causes that played a vital part in saving her daughter’s life- twice.

When you hear how little Hope Baker won a survival battle after she was born eleven weeks premature nearly four years ago, you know instantly why parents Amy, 26, and Matt, 33, named her so.

Amy has since endeavoured to raise money for the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital Special Care Baby Unit that kept Hope alive during a 19-week stay.

Chambers Close resident Amy also wants to hand Devon Air Ambulance a cash boost after her family again fended off tragedy in August last year when Hope was struck down by a sudden and random febrile convulsion seizure and stopped breathing.

Dad Matt resuscitated Hope on the boot of their car, and the couple feel indebted to the Air Ambulance, which rushed them to hospital.

Amy has organised the fourth Hope’s Variety Night, in aid of both causes, in Sidbury Village Hall next Friday, October 22, from 7.30pm as she continues to say thank you. “You never think any of these things will happen to you, but Hope is such a success story,” said Amy, who has raised around �2,000 since her first event in 2007.

Amy began fundraising to thank Special Care Baby Unit nurses and help parents in a similar situation.

“I always wanted to do something on my own, but never had a charity to do it for,” she said.

She last year made Devon Air Ambulance a joint beneficiary of the variety night.

“They did a fantastic job and got us to hospital in two minutes flat,” said Amy, “without people’s money they wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

Next Friday’s fundraising night of fun will feature Ned and the Turmites, Wally Cotgrave, Val Howles and Sue Gooding among others.

Tickets (�5) are available from Hayman’s in Woolbrook, Drew’s Butchers in Sidbury, and Coles in Sidmouth.