Wigan transplant dad remembered at first annual charity ball

More than £4,000 was raised for The Freeman Heart and Lung Transplant Association at an event in memory of Dave Hughes, from Whelley.

The ball, which took place at The Village on the Green in Aspull, was the first of an annual event in tribute to the 32-year-old dad-of-one who died in last May after complications from a heart transplant.

His wife, Louise Hughes, chose the charity for all the help that they gave her and her two-year-old son George when they visited Dave in Newcastle following his operation.

"I am so grateful to everyone who turned out to remember Dave at his first charity event,” she said.

“The charity holds a special place in my family's heart for everything they did for me and George in the months before Dave died.

“Without them it just wouldn’t have been possible to stay there with him for so long.

"I hope that the money we raised thanks to everyone's generosity on Saturday night will go to help families in a similar situation to us.”

Among the guests, who were treated to a meal and two performances from singer Stephen Bayliss, was the charity’s chairman Derek Airey.

He said: “Louise is an inspiration and great ambassador for our charity, because without people like her then we don’t have the financial support needed to support families, like the situation Louise and Dave faced.

“Whilst she’s faced such difficult circumstances and challenges she is determined to keep Dave’s memory alive for both her and baby George.

“We have unofficially adopted both of them and slowly converting them into Geordies.”

The evening, which marked a year to the day since Dave’s transplant, saw guests spend hundreds on an auction which featured a signed Lionel Messi football boot, a signed Anthony Joshua glove and signed photos of Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Louise took to the stage to give an emotional speech about the work that the charity do and to urge guests to sign the organ donor register, a cause she has championed since meeting Dave.

"The work that Derek and his trust do is invaluable and can really change lives,” she added.

"I'm really grateful to Dave's donor for giving me and George 11 extra weeks with him that we wouldn't have otherwise had and would urge anyone who isn’t already to sign the donor register and share the gift of life.”

To sign the register visit https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/register-to-donate/register-your-details/