An Altona Meadows mother is raising funds for a cuddle cot to help parents grieving the loss of their baby.
Victoria Reynolds lost her baby boy, Dexter Charles, at five months gestation in May.
“A cuddle cot is a special machine that chills a stillborn baby’s body to a temperature of preservation, allowing parents to spend time with their sleeping baby,” she said.
“It offers an invaluable source of comfort to parents who can do this before they are ready to say goodbye to their baby.”
Ms Reynolds said they had used a cuddle cot at Werribee Mercy Hospital.
“We had enough time to spend with him and say goodbye and it really helped,” she said. “I delivered him on a Tuesday night, the 2nd of May, and one of my closest, closest friends here came in about 10.30 and I asked her if she could have a look at him. And she just came out and said he looked absolutely perfect.
“It meant that he was just next to me, he was close-by. I knew exactly where he was, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.
“It just meant that my husband could cuddle him … I have such special memories of him holding him.”
She has created a Facebook page called My Angel Baby Melbourne and a fundraising page for Emerikus Land Foundation to buy cuddle cots. To donate, visit mycause.com.au/page/151576/cold-cots-for-stillborns
