A BEREAVED grandmother has donated a special cot designed to help parents through the loss of a baby following the tragic death of her daughter and granddaughter.

Pauline Moore has donated £1,600 for a special cot at Poole Hospital which allows bereaved parents to spend more time with a baby who has died at any stage of pregnancy or after birth.

Pauline wanted to do something positive in memory of her daughter Samantha and granddaughter Chloe.

The refrigerated ‘CuddleCot’ cools the baby, extending the time grieving parents can spend with their baby.

A pad is placed inside a Moses basket or crib and cooled by the CuddleCot cooling unit via an insulating hose.

The extra time together can help form a bond between parents and their baby that they wouldn’t have been able to have.

This can include changing a nappy, dressing the baby, taking photos and being together.

The donation was made to SPRING, a trust fund based at the maternity hospital that supports parents and relatives through baby loss, and is part of Poole Hospital Charity.

Pauline said: “I’d read an article about CuddleCots and thought what a difference this could make to grieving families to give them some precious time with their baby.”

Pauline’s donation means that there are now three CuddleCots at St Mary’s maternity hospital – one for each of the two bereavement suites and one that parents can take home.

Sandra Chitty, head of midwifery, said: “We’re extremely grateful for this very kind and heartfelt donation.

“Our bereavement suites were used by more than 50 families last year, and having this third CuddleCot will enable grieving parents to have more time with their babies, which is such an important part of the grieving process.

“This third CuddleCot also enables us to facilitate parents to take their baby home if they so wish.”

“Losing a baby is devastating, but this very kind donation will help families spend precious time with their baby before they say goodbye - a time to make memories that will last a lifetime,” added Emma Johnston, SPRING chairperson.

“As we rely on donations to fund our support for bereaved families, we really are extremely grateful.”

Pauline visited the maternity unit recently and met members of the maternity team and SPRING to unveil the CuddleCot, which bears a memorial plaque to Samantha and Chloe.

For more information about SPRING go to springsupport.org.uk