Giraffe for North Bay Hospital

Dealing with the death of a baby is an incredibly difficult event for parents. To help ease the pain, I feel that parents should be given the option to spend additional time with their baby prior to it being removed.  The unfortunate challenge in this situation is that the baby can deteriorate quickly in a warm room, therefore cooling the baby is important. Transferring to and from the morgue is traumatic for parents. A 'cuddle cot' is a piece of medical equipment that can be provided by the hospital to prolong parent’s time to spend with their stillborn baby. These cots act as a refrigerator and allow the baby to stay in the room with their family for longer than a few hours. A baby that a mother has carried for 9 months can now be seen for an extended period of time helping with the grieving process. Cuddle cots are uncommon because they cost $3000 and are not seen as a priority by hospitals. There are approximately two million stillborn babies every year which directly affects two million families around the world. This fundraiser is focussed on providing a cuddle cot to the North Bay Regional Health Centre to help families cope with losing a child. Although I have not experienced a loss of this nature, I found the stories of several mothers very touching. I am hoping to pursue a career in paediatric nursing or medicine in the future and want to start making a difference now.