A West Midlands family have raised £4,000 to purchase a CuddleCot for the bereavement suite at Good Hope Hospital, in memory of their daughter Willow.

Sam Phillips and her partner Carl were at a routine 28 week scan, when they discovered that their daughter Willow had no heartbeat.

Sam delivered Willow two days later and thanks to a piece of equipment called a ‘CuddleCot’, Sam and Carl were able to spend five days with their daughter, giving them and their families valuable time with her. They spent the five days in the Snowdrop Suite, an area at Good Hope Hospital for families who are experiencing early miscarriage, still birth, or neonatal death.

The CuddleCot cooling mat is placed under the cot or Moses basket and allows the family to spend time with their family, without distressing trips to and from the mortuary.

Sam and Carl were determined to raise money for more CuddleCots, so organised a sponsored walk around Sutton Park with their families and friends – raising £4,000 to purchase a new one.

They found the stillbirth very traumatic, but were grateful for the time they had with Willow and raising this money, they feel like her life has meant something.

Sam said:  “We were devastated to lose Willow, but spending time on the Snowdrop Suite, where it was so peaceful, gave us time to grieve for our daughter. I am proud that we’ve been able to help other families who have lost a child.”

Sam and Carl presented Clare Beesley and Sarah Lane, bereavement midwifes, with the CuddleCot.

Samantha Howell, Senior Fundraiser at Good Hope Hosptial Charity, said: "We would like to say a heartfelt thanks to Sam and Carl for their very generous donation. It is humbling that, even after experiencing such a great and personal loss, they are able to help other people through their generous gift." 

To find out more about Good Hope Hospital Charity and how you can support patients, please visit www.goodhopehospital.org.uk or call 0121 371 48452 for more information.

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