Parents suffering baby loss will now have time to make memories before saying their final goodbye thanks to the gift of a CuddleCot for the Childrenās Ward at Royal Preston Hospital.
The CuddleCot, which cost Ā£1,750, has been jointly donated to Lancashire Teaching Hospitalsā Charity Team for its Childrenās Appeal by two other childrenās charities – Midlands-based Remember Rufus and Freddieās Wish, both of which support bereaved parents of little ones.
The CuddleCot is a cooling mattress that can be discreetly placed in a moses basket, cot or pram. It enables the parents of a born asleep baby or baby that has passed away for another reason to remain with their child for a number of days – long enough for lots of cuddles, kisses, walks outside and for baby to meet other family members.
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Ceri Amphlett, who co-founded Remember Rufus with her husband Billy, said: āRemember Rufus was set up in memory of our beautiful son Rufus, who was sadly stillborn at 39 weeks in October 2020, to donate CuddleCots to NHS Trusts in England and Wales, giving families the gift of time to say the hardest goodbye.
āWe were lucky enough to spend six days with Rufus, which allowed us to make lots of amazing memories together as a family and we want to make sure every bereaved parent gets that same option.ā
Prestonās CuddleCot is the 25th to have funding from Remember Rufus. Its funding partner, Freddieās Wish, was set up to remember baby Freddie, who lost his life in a car accident aged just 13 months.
Lucy Clark, who is part of the Childrenās Appeal team, said: āWe are incredibly grateful to these two brave families, who have set up charities in memory of their lost little ones to help our Trust and others provide the option of extra time to local parents facing the devastating trauma of baby and infant loss.
āWe know just how important taking that extra time can be to the longer-term wellbeing of many bereaved parents and their wider family.ā
To watch a video explaining more about the Childrenās Appeal, become involved or make a donation, go to the Lancashire Teaching Hospitalsā Charity website.
Bereavement support can be accessed via the Remember Rufus website and Freddie’s Wish website.
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