Losing a child is a pain no parent should have to experience. A group of Valley moms are taking action to give parents just a little bit more time with their babies.
Inside the Sables Wings Comfort Room at Banner Desert Hospital, butterflies are on the wall with names honoring infants who died--either in the womb, during birth, or shortly after.
“I thought to myself, there’s got to be more we can do as a community when we’re going though that grieving stage,” said Abigail Spahich, a member of Midnight Mamacitas, a support group for mothers.
In the group, she hears heartbreaking stories from other parents:
"I didn't even get a chance to look and see what color my baby's eyes were, or I didn't even get a chance to hold them. I had to ask, and by the time I was ready, they had already been taken,” Spahich says of the heartbreaking stories she hears.
Her group is working on a project that would support parents who’ve had to say goodbye to their babies before they even knew them.
“It’s extremely heart-wrenching for these families because they're not just losing a child, they're losing dreams and aspirations that they had for themselves and for that child,” said Jennifer Reisner, a registered nurse and perinatal bereavement coordinator at Banner Desert and Cardon Children’s Medical Center.
This is where Cuddle Cots come in. Cuddle Cots are medical equipment that can help grieving parents by giving them more time with their babies.
“They help to cool the baby’s body so that way it can slow decomposition. We still wrap the babies in blankets,” Reisner said.
It gives parents extra moments that they will never get back.
"They get to do things like wash their baby’s hair, and hold the baby just a little bit longer, and remember what their face looks like,” Spahich said.
The group believes there are only two Cuddle Cots in the state, so they are hoping to raise enough money to donate two Cuddle Cots to every level three hospital within the Banner Health network.
If you'd like to help, they’ve set up a donation page: https://www.gofundme.com/mammacitas-cuddlecot-donation
Midnight Mamacitas is hosting an event to raise money for the Cuddle Cots on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at Copper Still Moonshine Grill in Gilbert from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
