Heartbreaking Loss Inspires Donation of Special Cot to Royal Cornwall Hospital

The maternity unit at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) has received a crucial piece of equipment that will offer bereaved parents more time with their babies before saying goodbye. The Abi Cooling Cot, donated by baby-loss charity Abigail’s Footsteps, was gifted to the hospital in memory of baby Hamish.

A Lasting Legacy for Hamish

The cot, which will be placed in the Daisy (bereavement) Suite at the hospital, has been donated by Hilary Grierson in honour of her son. Hilary’s baby, Hamish, was stillborn on 3rd May 2012 at 41 weeks and 4 days.

Reflecting on the importance of the donation, Hilary said:

“Since his birth, we do everything we can to keep his memory alive, to ensure his short life is remembered. We weren’t able to spend as much time with him as we wanted, because the hospital did not have a cooling cot at the time. So, in his name, we have fundraised to help Abigail’s Footsteps in their quest to put as many Abi Cots in hospitals as they can. Hamish didn’t get to write his own legacy, so we want to write it for him.”

Supporting Families Through Grief

Abi Cooling Cots allow families to spend extended time with their baby, which can be a vital part of the grieving and healing process.

Claire Moors, Bereavement Midwife at RCHT, expressed gratitude for the donation:

“We are so grateful to Abigail’s Footsteps for this generous donation. Having a purpose-made Abi Cooling Cot in our bereavement suite will enable bereaved parents to spend precious time with their baby and allow memories to be made.”

A Mission to Help Bereaved Parents

The donation is part of a wider mission by Abigail’s Footsteps to provide these cots to hospitals across the UK. Co-founder David Ward MBE explained:

“When we had our daughter Abigail, we only had two or three hours with her. Having to say goodbye so soon was heartbreaking and we knew we had to do something to support other grieving parents. The Abi Cooling Cot allows people to have two or three days with their baby if they wish.”

The charity has so far donated over 250 of these cots, which cost over £3,000 each, helping hospitals provide much-needed support for parents facing unimaginable loss.

For more information about the charity and its work, visit Abigail’s Footsteps.