Cuddle Cot for Infants
Donation protected
On May 22, 2015, I had my final doctor’s appointment at 40 weeks and 1 day. Little did I know, that day would be the last time I would ever hear our son’s heart beating. The very next day I went to the hospital in active labor expecting to deliver our healthy baby boy, and the final addition to our family. Within minutes of arriving, our worst fear had become a reality. The doctor was unable to locate a heartbeat.
‘How could that be? I heard his heartbeat the day before and felt him moving that night in bed.”
A few short hours later Taylor Mason Cunningham was born silent weighing 9 lbs. 5 oz. and 21 inches long. He was perfect in every way possible except his tiny heart was no longer beating. I had hoped that by some miracle he would open his eyes and begin to cry, but as soon as he was laid in my arms, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. The only cries that could be heard from Room 2 that day were my husband and I’s.
No parent is ever prepared to lose a child the way we did. I had a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby growing inside of me. Unfortunately things like this happen without warning or explanation. 1 in 160 pregnancies will end in a stillbirth each year in the United States. That's 26,000 babies born still each year in the United States alone. 26,000 families faced with this unimaginable loss.
Since Taylor’s still birth, I have been learning a lot about “cuddle cots.” A cuddle cot is a discreet cooling device that can be disguised inside a hospital crib or moses basket that allows an infant to remain in the room with family for the duration of the hospital stay. Essentially this is allowing the family more time with their child to make memories, gain closure and say goodbye without feeling rushed. The gift of time is something so precious to families dealing with this tragedy. In our case, we were told a few hours before I delivered, Taylor would be born still. Our time with him felt so rushed. We were faced with making so many decisions in such a short period of time. A cuddle cot would have allowed us a little extra time to make those important decisions and to allow family to visit him. It would have provided us with the gift of more time.
With $2764 we will be able to purchase 1 cuddle cot to donate. Licking Memorial Hospital in Newark, Ohio has graciously allowed us to donate this gift of time to their maternity ward. Any additional funds raised will go towards funding another cot for a nearby hospital in need.
Our thoughts are with all of the parents who have traveled down this same road we have. Our hope is that you find peace and are able to find some meaning out of your situation, even though we know how hard that can be. We are still trying to find it ourselves.
This campaign is being launched in Memory of our sweet Taylor Mason and all the other babies born still.
"I carried you every second of your life, and I will love you for every second of mine."
-Kayla & Mark Cunningham
‘How could that be? I heard his heartbeat the day before and felt him moving that night in bed.”
A few short hours later Taylor Mason Cunningham was born silent weighing 9 lbs. 5 oz. and 21 inches long. He was perfect in every way possible except his tiny heart was no longer beating. I had hoped that by some miracle he would open his eyes and begin to cry, but as soon as he was laid in my arms, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. The only cries that could be heard from Room 2 that day were my husband and I’s.
No parent is ever prepared to lose a child the way we did. I had a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby growing inside of me. Unfortunately things like this happen without warning or explanation. 1 in 160 pregnancies will end in a stillbirth each year in the United States. That's 26,000 babies born still each year in the United States alone. 26,000 families faced with this unimaginable loss.
Since Taylor’s still birth, I have been learning a lot about “cuddle cots.” A cuddle cot is a discreet cooling device that can be disguised inside a hospital crib or moses basket that allows an infant to remain in the room with family for the duration of the hospital stay. Essentially this is allowing the family more time with their child to make memories, gain closure and say goodbye without feeling rushed. The gift of time is something so precious to families dealing with this tragedy. In our case, we were told a few hours before I delivered, Taylor would be born still. Our time with him felt so rushed. We were faced with making so many decisions in such a short period of time. A cuddle cot would have allowed us a little extra time to make those important decisions and to allow family to visit him. It would have provided us with the gift of more time.
With $2764 we will be able to purchase 1 cuddle cot to donate. Licking Memorial Hospital in Newark, Ohio has graciously allowed us to donate this gift of time to their maternity ward. Any additional funds raised will go towards funding another cot for a nearby hospital in need.
Our thoughts are with all of the parents who have traveled down this same road we have. Our hope is that you find peace and are able to find some meaning out of your situation, even though we know how hard that can be. We are still trying to find it ourselves.
This campaign is being launched in Memory of our sweet Taylor Mason and all the other babies born still.
"I carried you every second of your life, and I will love you for every second of mine."-Kayla & Mark Cunningham
Organizer
Kayla Cunningham
Organizer
Newark, OH
