AN AYR woman has smashed her fundraising goal to improve facilities for premature babies in Ayrshire.

Kirsty Kirkland held a psychic charity night at the Glenburn Miners Club on Friday, October 25 to raise money for the neonatal unit at Crosshouse Hospital.

She wanted to fundraise after her daughter had to spend 16 days there when she was born six and a half weeks prematurely.

Her daughter Amelia was born after Kirsty caught Cholestasis and received an emergency C section when they felt no movement.

Kirsty gave birth to her daughter Amelia back in April (Image: Kirsty Kirkland) She said: “Those days were very tough; I was still recovering so I was in the hospital so thankful I got to spend them with her.

“For the first four days she was in intensive care, then she got moved into special care after that for 12 days and she had a wee feeding tube. She was only 4lbs 15oz when she was born.”

Kirsty decided to raise funds to say thank you, and after the event she discovered she'd raised £2,750 in total.

She says all of this money will go towards any equipment needed at the hospital to help any other premature babies in Ayrshire.

Originally the plan was to host a bingo night, but she changed it to a psychic night which she thought would be more popular.

A close friend of the family paid the £250 fee for the four psychics to attend, so that all money made on the night from ticket sales and raffle tickets could be donated.

After aiming to raise between £1,000 and £1500 she made £2,720, but her dad donated the final £30 to bring it up to £2,750

She's now been able to present the cheque in person to the nurses who looked after her and her daughter during their stay in hospital.

Kirsty said: “The staff gave you all the time of the day, a lot of time I was there myself, but they were always over checking on me, nothing was ever a bother to them.

"When I went up with the cheque, Amelia got a cuddle from two of the main nurses who looked after her, the care that they gave was outstanding and we’re so grateful for it

"Amelia's thriving on now, she goes to her baby class every week and she's telling stories and has a smile on her face all the time."