A couple whose son was stillborn have donated some specialist equipment to help other families facing a similar experience.
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Bobbie-Jo and Nathan Bradley raised more than $6000 to buy and donate a cuddle cot to Wagga Base Hospital.
The couple’s son Kayden was born sleeping at Goulburn hospital on March 28 and the cuddle cot system allowed them to spend two days with him in hospital.
Mrs Bradley said cuddle cots enable families to spend more precious time with their baby.
“A cuddle cot is a cooling system that has been designed to fit within a small cot,” she said.
“This effective system allows for babies who have passed away to remain with their families so that they are not required to be cooled in a mortuary environment.
“Cuddle cots enable family members to also travel to visit and meet the baby and siblings to meet one another.
“It’s about giving parents choices and reassuring them that they can spend as much time as they like with their baby, without the fear of the baby needing to be cooled in a traditional mortuary.”
Cuddle cots enable families to spend more precious time with their baby.
- Bobbie-Jo Bradley
The Bradleys have donated the cooling unit and a traditional Moses basket, which is embroidered with a memorial to Kayden, for use by other families.
Mrs Bradley, who grew up at The Rock and still has family in the area, suffered complications 21 weeks into her pregnancy with Kayden, who was eventually born at 22 weeks’ gestation.
After Kayden was born, Mrs Bradley needed surgery, which ultimately took more than three hours.
Without a cuddle cot that was available Goulburn hospital, Mrs Bradley would not have been able to return to her room after the lengthy surgery and spend time with Kayden.
Kayden was born just days after another family had experienced a stillbirth, and Mrs Bradley realised that if the two deliveries had been closer together, one of the families might not have been able to use the cuddle cot.
That other family decided to raise funds to buy a second cot for Goulburn hospital, so the Bradleys decided to raise money to buy a second one for Wagga Base Hospital.
Wagga Base midwife Josie Riley said the cuddle cots were an important piece of equipment because they allowed families to take as much time as they needed with their babies.
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