A FAMILY fun day inspired by the memory of a baby girl who was born with severe heart defects is being held to help other “heart families”.

Lagan’s Foundation is staging Party in the Park featuring a Rubber Duck Derby.

It is the biggest family fundraiser staged by the foundation, set up in memory of Lagan Katherine Anne Grant, daughter of Carren Bell and Barry Grant from Horwich, who lost her fight against a heart condition when she was just 15 weeks old in April, 2011.

Lagan’s Foundation is the UK’s only charity dedicated to providing help to parents in their own homes, whose babies are born with congenital heart defects (CHD) and/or have feeding difficulties.

Today, the charity which is 100 per cent donation funded and is run by volunteers, helps families across the UK.

And families and visitors who go to Burrs Country Park in Bury on Sunday will be in for a day of fun and entertainment, which will raise money to help train volunteers to support families practically and emotionally at home, as well as helping to establish a hospital liaison service.

Attractions include a duck race, which will be on youtube, complete with a duck cam.

The ducks will be released by a representative of Sainsbury’s in Oxford Road, Manchester, which has adopted the foundation as its charity of the year. There will also be games such as a coconut shy, fairground rides, climbing wall and a variety of stalls.

Miss Bell, who has two other children, Ceridwen, aged 11, and son Lochlyn, aged 17 months, said: “We have lots going on and the rubber ducky race will take part in a stretch of the river, rather than a brook, to give it a quirky edge.

“We wanted to organise a family fun day to reach more people who are in need of support, and to show the numbers of families we support and that CHD is not a rare condition.

“It is thanks to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital for letting us have Lagan in our family for a magical 15 weeks.

“We are now here for every other heart family and want to share our love and care so that other families no longer feel alone.”

She added: “Lagan’s Foundation is our way of keeping Lagan’s memory alive.

“Every day is difficult and it never gets any easier. We just carry on knowing we can help.”

The fun starts at 11am and goes on until 5.30pm.

To race a rubber ducky as a family or as a business, and for more information, visit lagans.org.uk/get-involved/events/family/party-in-the-park