My name is Shanna Chess and I am a volunteer photographer for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (https://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org).  This organization recruits volunteers and we take photos for grieving families that have to say goodbye to their precious babies much too soon.  We provide the gift of remembrance photography for parents suffering the loss of a baby.  These babies can be stillborn, or pass away shortly after birth and have never left the hospital.

Since becoming a photographer for this organization, I have learned about the need for a CuddleCot in our hospital.  After babies have passed away, they deteriorate rather quickly and families have to say goodbye.  Many times, they have to say goodbye much sooner than they would want to.  The CuddleCot would give families more time with their baby.

The CuddleCot (http://flexmort.com/cuddle-cots)
has been internationally recognized across the world as significantly helping parents who suffer the loss of a baby. Dealing with the death of a baby is clearly an incredibly difficult event for parents and bereaved parents should be given the option of spending time with their baby. Providing families time through the use of the CuddleCot is internationally encouraged by midwives, bereavement practitioners, still birth/neonatal charities, and academics. Time allows the family to form an important bond with their baby; whether changing a nappy, dressing the baby, taking photographs or simply just staying close and this unquestionably helps families in dealing with their loss. The problem is that in a warm room the baby’s condition can deteriorate quickly, therefore cooling the baby is absolutely essential. The CuddleCot allows the family to spend every moment with their baby, precious moments where every minute counts.

The CuddleCot™ system cools the baby allowing the baby to remain with the family. The CuddleCot™ cooling pad is placed in any moses basket, crib, pram or bed; it is connected by a specially insulated hose and is quietly cooled using the CuddleCot™ cooling unit. The CuddleCot™ system comes in its own carry case with different size cooling pads for premature and full term babies.

My goal is to raise $4000 to donate a CuddleCot with a 2 year extended warranty, a moses basket, and that amount would also cover GoFundMe fees.  The CuddleCot would be donated to McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center (We were successful in fundraising for Riverbend Hospital and one was donated in 2016!  Thank you to all who donated to that compaign!) in Springfield, Oregon.  

The work I do through NILMDTS is very important to me as a loss mom myself.  While my losses were early, I still have so much empathy and sorrow for the families I work with during the worst time of their lives.  I feel that fundraising for the CuddleCot is just another way I can give back.