During a recent visit to the Cariboo Memorial Hospital (CMH), Tammy Tugnum had the opportunity to view the maternity ward’s new CuddleCot, donated to help families grieve the loss of their baby.
President of the Cariboo Memorial Hospital Foundation (CMHF), Tugnum said the CuddleCot was donated by a mother who knew all too well how important it is to have this equipment.
“She knew this was something we needed in this facility, and she graciously donated it,” Tugnum said.
The mother gave the CuddleCot to the hospital in memory of her own son, Oliver, whom she lost before relocating to Williams Lake.
CuddleCots are an in-room cooling bassinet, giving families the time and space they need to grieve at their bedside following the loss of their baby.
“For families it means uninterrupted time to spend with their baby; to give them a chance to say goodbye and have family members meet and say goodbye in the safety of the hospital and supported by staff,” said Victoria Dean, a maternity registered nurse at CMH.
Ramona Laffer, also a CMH maternity RN, said it’s critical to give families the care and time they need during the loss of a baby.
“For a really long time, it's just something that’s not been spoken of openly, and we’re trying to change that,” Ramona said.
Though a simple piece of equipment, the CuddleCot has been a valuable addition to the maternity ward at CMH.
“We have been using it, unfortunately more than we’d like to,” said Tina Pole, clinical operations manager for the ambulatory care/oncology unit and cardiology at CMH.
When babies are born at CMH, families can ring a bell to announce the child’s arrival. Pole said purple butterflies are placed on the door of a room where a family has lost their baby to let staff know.
Tugnum was accompanied by several other members of the CMHF for a tour of the maternity ward, where they saw the results of the foundation’s donations in the form of other equipment in use at the ward.
The CMHF is a non-profit group which raises funds to purchase new equipment for the hospital based in Williams Lake, British Columbia. To date, the organization has purchased nearly $4 million worth of equipment for the emergency department and surgical theatre.
