A YEAR ago this week, Calvin Buckley and his partner of three years - pregnant and beaming Frankie Julia Hough - proudly hosted a gender reveal party. Surrounded by their family and friends, Calvin recalls cooking mountains of food for the celebration. It was, he said, the happiest he had ever been.
They revealed to tears, applause and pink balloons that Frankie was expecting a girl - Calvin's first child and a little sister for her two boys.
"I was so happy to become a father," says Calvin, 41. "I remember it being a busy day. There was lots of food. Family were around and people were really happy. Me and Frankie were the happiest we had ever been. She was over the moon and so were her mum and dad.
They had grandsons, but now a granddaughter. Frankie had two sons, and a daughter would have completed it." Tragically, less than a week later, Calvin's world and the lives of their families were shattered by a selfish, showoff, speeding driver who had been filming himself behind the wheel while reaching speeds of up to 123mph Frankie, who was 38, was killed in a horror motorway crash that also claimed the life of their unborn daughter, Neeve.
Yesterday 12 months on from the joyous celebration of new life - Calvin was standing at the side of the East Lancashire Road in Swinton, Salford, fronting a powerful new road safety campaign.
This story is from the May 08, 2024 edition of Manchester Evening News.
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This story is from the May 08, 2024 edition of Manchester Evening News.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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