CuddleTIME Cold Cot

Each day 6 babies across Australia are stillborn. A total of 2000 babies each year.

Most deceased babies, have to be taken to the mortuary within several hours of birth, cutting short the precious time that a bereaved family have together to create memories.

Bodhi Grech was born on the 12th of August and passed away on the 16th of August 2012 Leaving his family heartbroken and shattered. In memory of Bodhi, his mother Lynette Grech with the support of her family and friends began 'For Bodhi' with the aim to give back to the bereavement community in his memory. Over the past year Lynette has fundraised tirelessly in memory of Bodhi for the first CuddleTIME Cold Cot to be donated on behalf of Yasminah's Gift Of Hope in his memory to the hospital where he spent his final days of life. 

Yasminah's Gift Of Hope offers early support to those suffering the loss of a baby during pregnancy or shortly after birth. Yasminah's Gift Of Hope works to prevent potential incidences of depression as a result of the trauma families experience.

The CuddleTIME Cold Cot Project will significantly aid Yasminah's Gift Of Hope support role by allowing us to provide the treasured gift of 'time' to bereaving parents and their families. 

Donated by Yasminah's Gift Of Hope in Memory of Bodhi Grech 12.8.12 - 16.8.12

The CuddleTIME Cold Cots will compliment Yasminah's Gift Of Hope, Gift Of Hope journal support program by extending a families time together to create lasting memories that can be recorded in the journals and kept for a lifetime.

Portable Cold Cots will support caregivers and bereaved families cared for at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. 

• Families will have the opportunity and choice to spend quality time together as a family, whilst creating memories to last a lifetime before saying their final goodbye.

• CuddleTIME Cold Cot will foster greater support for parents by allowing increased involvement of extended family in the grieving process

• Will enable families the choice to take their child home overnight utilising the portable Cold Cot with the support of the hospital

• Creating memories of the deceased child, including interactions such as cuddles, bathing and dressing, have been shown to be very beneficial for a parent's journey through grief

Today two incredible things happened.

I met a beautiful lady I've gotten to know over the past 18 months. Lynette Grech. She was warm, compassionate and we hugged like we'd been friends for years. Time was no barrier. We had both been through something indescribable. The loss of our child. Lynette heartbreakingly said goodbye to her son Bodhi Grech 3 days after saying hello.

Together we delivered the CuddleTIME Cold Cot in memory of her son Bodhi. 

Lynette Grech and myself delivered the CuddleTIME Cold Cot to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital NICU Bereavement Room in loving memory of Lynette's son Bodhi. We are both currently pregnant with our rainbow babies due a few weeks apart.

Love is endless and Bodhi's memory will live on helping many other families spend precious final moments with their child. A love to last a lifetime. Thank you to everyone who supported, donated and helped make the first CuddleTIME Cold Cot possible. 

Saying Goodbye........

Memories of your pregnancy, birth and time with your child are precious. Before saying good bye you may want to:

• Take photos
• Bathe your child
• Wash them in a special scented soap
• Put a nappy on them and dress them
• Take your child outside
• Have family and friends visit
• Take hand and foot prints, hand and feet castings
• Collect a lock of hair
• Place items of clothing, blankets/wraps that your child wore in a snap lock bag to retain their smell

You can keep hospital bracelets, name cards and other hospital items used for your child and place them within your journal. Just ask the hospital staff to keep them aside for you.


It might help you to create a scrapbook of your memories including items from your pregnancy like pregnancy tests, ultrasound pictures, belly photos and other keepsakes from your pregnancy and birth.

The winners of the Butterfly Garden Ball Tickets are....

Congratulations to the following winners who have each won a ticket to attend Yasminah's Gift Of Hope Inaugural Butterfly Garden Ball to be held at Lachlans, Old Government House, Parramatta, NSW on Satruday the 11th of August from 6:30pm.

The winners will join us on this very special evening as we dress up, dance the night away, make new friends and also to remember the children who were miscarried, born premature, born sleeping or who passed away during infancy or were born with a congenital abnormality.

We will honour, remember and celebrate them during the evening.

 Rebecca Henricksen and Nate Morabito

Sharon Borig-Lathlean and partner

Jaharri Pitts and Mariah Devontae

Chrissy Rickards and partner

Kirby Richmond Davis and Glenn Davis

Kellie Grainger and Christopher Grainger

Claire Elise Griffin and Bob Lloyd

Renee Yeardye and James Yeardye

Terrilee Zimmehl and partner

I look forward to meeting you all on the evening and want to thank you for supporting Yasminah's Gift Of Hope. 

If you could all please send me an email to book your tickets

Aidens Scar

Our amazing and beautiful Vice President Erin bravely shared the very special story of the the birth of her son, Aiden and the story of her caesarean scar.

 

 

The Story of My Scar - The Sunday Telegraph Body+Soul Magazine - March 18, 2012 Page 10 bodyandsoul.com.au

 

Beverley Hadgraft meets four women whose scars have become an integral part of their life experience.
 

 "My Scar is how the son I lost was born"

Nineteen weeks into my pregnancy, a scan picked up an abnormality in our son's kidneys. A day later, we were given a terminal diagnosis but were determined to continue with the pregnancy. We wanted to give Aiden every chance.

Fortnightly check-ups revealed his amniotic fluids were low, which meant his lung development was also affected. But I still wanted the doctors to try everything to help him. We booked a caesarean to make his birth as stress-free as possible.

Aiden was born on December 21, 2010. We could hear him trying desperately to cry and he was immediately taken to the neonatal intensive care unit. Twenty-five hours later, after receiving the results of Aiden's numerous tests, we decided to stop medical intervention. He was placed in our arms and we spent 15 minutes together before he passed away.

The recovery from my caesarean was painless compared to the emotional pain. Today, I am pregnant with a daughter. She is healthy and will be born in the same hospital as her brother. When I see my scar now I am proud. It is how my beautiful boy came into the world. I call it my Aiden scar.

Erin is vice-president of Yasminah's Gift Of Hope, an organisation that offers support to families who lose a baby