A Harrogate woman is hosting a Halloween charity event this month in aid of the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at Harrogate District Hospital — the team she credits with saving both her and her daughter's lives nearly three decades ago.
Helen Hirst, founder of Mystic Mansion Events, is organising the themed evening as the first in a series of fundraising celebrations designed to bring people together and support children’s charities.
The Halloween event will take place at a Harrogate venue later this month, featuring live entertainment, themed décor and fundraising activities, with all proceeds going to the hospital’s baby unit.
Helen’s connection to the SCBU runs deep. In February 1997, she gave birth to her daughter Megan 12 weeks early after suffering a sudden and severe medical emergency at home.
Alone at the time, Helen lost a significant amount of blood before being rushed to Harrogate General Hospital, where consultant Mr Oakley and his team delivered Megan by emergency caesarean section.
Though both were critically ill, the baby unit’s specialist care helped them recover. Megan spent several weeks in the unit before coming home, weighing just four pounds but thriving thanks to the hospital’s dedicated staff.
Helen said:
“I’ll never forget the compassion they showed us. They supported our whole family — not just medically, but emotionally too.
"Because of them, Megan is here. Because of them, I am here. And because of them, Mystic Mansion Events exists.”
Mystic Mansion Events was born from Helen’s desire to turn a personal story of survival into something positive for others.
The name was inspired by her childhood visits to a grand Victorian home in Leeds, where she found comfort and imagination during lonely times.
She said:
“I used to visit an old house called Fawcett House as a little girl.
“It became my sanctuary — a place where I could dream and feel safe. Mystic Mansion is my way of recreating that feeling for others, through events that celebrate community, kindness, and hope.”
While Halloween will mark the first event, Helen plans to expand the project to include Valentine’s, Easter, summer, and Christmas celebrations — each supporting a different children’s charity, from neonatal care and children’s hospices to mental health and family support projects.
The goal, she says, is to combine joy with purpose:
“Our events will be filled with laughter and fun, but every ticket sold and every pound raised will help a child or family in need.”
Helen hopes the Harrogate community will come together to support the event and the hospital team that continues to help families in crisis.
She added:
“Mystic Mansion is about giving back to the people who give everything.
“The SCBU saved our lives. This is my way of saying thank you — and helping others who might one day need that same care.”
Full details for the Mystic Mansion Halloween Event in aid of Harrogate Hospital’s SCBU and tickets are available online here.
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