THE father of a baby who lived for only 40 minutes is raising money for the charity which supported him and his family through the tragedy.

Aimee Melody Fraser was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition when her mum Claire Evans was 21 weeks pregnant and she died soon after being born.

At her funeral last year, her father Grant Fraser vowed to raise money for SOFT UK in thanks for their support by growing a beard which he dyed in the rainbow colours of the charity on the anniversary of his daughter’s birth.

Grant, 32, and Claire, 29, of Ascot Way, Acomb, knew their daughter had a life limiting illness, but hoped she would be able to pull through.

Grant said: “We hoped she would live as long as possible, but when she was born she was quite limp so they put her on oxygen and tried to resuscitate her.

“They knew she was not going to last for more than an hour or two.

“They said we could hold her or she could go in a life-support machine. We knew she would not last long so we let her die peacefully with us. She died in our arms.”

Aimee suffered from Patau’s Syndrome or trisomy 13, a chromosome abnormality which affects about one in 15,000 children.

A small percentage of trisomy 13 babies reach their first birthday and in some cases reach their teens and adulthood.

Due to Aimee’s condition and because she was also suffering from a heart defect that doctors could not operate on immediately, she was not strong enough to survive.

Grant said: “I cannot thank SOFT UK enough for the support that they gave and continue giving us. I feel honoured and very proud to raise money for SOFT UK and if it was my full-time job I know I will never be able to repay back the support and friendship that SOFT UK unselfishly gave us, but we can at least try.”

He said he would also like to thank York and Leeds medical staff for their care and Sadie at Identity salon for dying his beard.

Grant will shave off the beard at an event at The Fox pub in Holgate at 6pm on July 22, the day before the anniversary of Aimee’s funeral.