Cuddle Cot in Memory of Greta

Ashley Agnitch is organizing this fundraiser.

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Dear Friends, Family, and Community,

1 in 4 families will lose a baby during pregnancy, delivery, or infancy. (source; starlegacyfoundation.org)

Bereaved families often experience early separation as their baby is taken to the morgue to slow the natural process that occurs after death. An easy simple to use device called the Cuddle Cot can be used in hospital settings to improve bereavement support. The Cuddle Cot is a cooling bassinet that provides the gift of time as it allows the baby to room-in with the family. This additional time can be spent to include; bonding, photography, spiritual care, and saying goodbye when they are ready.

I know this journey all too well. At 14 weeks of pregnancy, diagnostic testing showed that my daughter, Greta Lynn, had a genetic abnormality known as Trisomy 18 or Edwards Syndrome. She was not expected to survive pregnancy, labor, or delivery. During this time, I researched bereavement resources and learned about the benefits of a Cuddle Cot. It was disappointing to discover that it was unavailable to my family. Against all odds, Greta was born on April 12, 2017 and graced us with five beautiful hours of life.

After my journey with Greta I accepted a Labor and Delivery nursing position at Marian Regional Medical Center. I had previously been working as a nurse liaison for the Arroyo Grande Inpatient Acute Rehab. Once I gained experience as a Labor and Delivery nurse I truly began to see the need for bereavement support surrounding pregnancy and infant loss. The Cuddle Cot continued to be on my mind as a possible resource that would serve many families. We were "fortunate" to have time to prepare for the death of our daughter but for many families this is an unexpected loss. My goal is that the Cuddle Cot can provide time for parents to make the very tough decisions that come with the death of a child, to grieve, to make lasting memories, and most importantly to feel joy. One of the biggest lessons I learned was that it is okay for Grief and Joy to coexist. We shared tears and laughter during our time with Greta. The room was heavy but there were certainly smiles going around, for we were grateful to have met her.

Still, this resource remained unavailable for bereaved parents on the Central Coast. To honor Greta's memory, I started this fundraising campaign to bring Cuddle Cots to local hospitals. I am beyond grateful to share that through generous donations we have been able to provide a Cuddle Cot to both Marian Regional Medical Center and French Hospital. My goal is to continue to provide high volume hospitals with Cuddle Cots. Through this campaign we have also identified a need for digital cameras and photo printers for the birthing units. We cherish our photos with Greta and it is one way we can share her life with our young kids. We would like to provide photos for families that are unable to have a professional photographer at their delivery or during their stay. Beyond your financial contribution you will be giving the gift of time for bereaved families to preserve a lasting memory with their child before saying their final goodbyes.

Here is a link to a news article that was posted about our Cuddle Cot donation on 2/8/22:

https://keyt.com/news/2022/02/08/dignity-health-nurse-raises-funds-to-support-parents-after-child-loss/?fbclid=IwAR1T-Pqw-QwqG_YbtEOFHn1QoQZlxipw1XIgFO_c6UilEwDcnjvuQY89G3o" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://keyt.com/news/2022/02/08/dignity-health-nurse-raises-funds-to-support-parents-after-child-loss/?fbclid=IwAR1T-Pqw-QwqG_YbtEOFHn1QoQZlxipw1XIgFO_c6UilEwDcnjvuQY89G3ohttps://keyt.com/news/2022/02/08/dignity-health-nurse-raises-funds-to-support-parents-after-child-loss/?fbclid=IwAR1T-Pqw-QwqG_YbtEOFHn1QoQZlxipw1XIgFO_c6UilEwDcnjvuQY89G3o