A local family has generously donated a Cuddle Cot to the Pembroke Regional Hospital in loving memory of Caden Alexander Siwy who was born sleeping on Nov. 4, 2012.

On Nov.14, the Cuddle Cot stillborn cooling device was donated to the hospital by Susanne Edwards – sister of Caden’s mother, Edie Edwards.

The Cuddle Cot preserves a stillborn baby’s body in a bassinet or crib to give parents time to grieve. The device allows the stillborn to remain up to five days in a hospital room, extending the time a family has to photograph the infant, cuddle them, hold them and have loved ones visit with them.

“This is a newer invention that a lot of people and a lot of families are fundraising for across Canada to bring to hospitals to really just kind of give a little bit of extra time and comfort when parents experience this loss,” said Susanne. “It’s a great gift that I thought we could impart on behalf of Caden and it’s our hope that it never gets used but the reality is that it likely will. So if we can at least give that time and comfort to a family, then it’s a good gift.”

For parents, parting with a stillborn baby is the first step in a long and difficult grieving process, one that can take a lifetime to come to terms with. The new Cuddle Cot, installed in November in Caden’s honour, aims to make that journey a little easier.

“We often can’t say much to families that go through this so it’s nice that this family has donated this device to the hospital,” said Dianne O’Connor, manager of maternal child care at the Pembroke Regional Hospital. “This gives them time, and the gift of time is immeasurable really.”