Cooling unit for infant loss
Donation protected
At nearly 34 weeks pregnant, anticipation was building for my son’s arrival in just six short weeks. His room was lovingly prepared with a new crib, artwork and a baby monitor.
I worried when I realized that I had not felt kicking in the past day or so, but was hopeful I was wrong when I arrived at the hospital to be checked. Tragically, I wasn't wrong. My greatest fear was confirmed when the only heart beat the nurse could find was my own.
I was admitted into the hospital to be induced. There my husband and I experienced the worst moment of our lives, alongside rooms full of women experiencing the best moment of their own. There I laid on tear soaked pillows, staring at a wall as I endured 24 hours of labor that ended with a heart wrenching goodbye.
Few people have dared to ask what happened, how a healthy boy suddenly passes away. Most parents of stillborns do not receive an answer to this question. In our case, it was quickly discovered that there had been a “cord accident” – two knots were discovered in the cord. In addition, the cord was wrapped twice around his neck and tightly around his shoulder. As naïve as it sounds to myself now, I had never considered this outcome. I had only envisioned my happy future with this child in it.
Not one second is taken for granted when you have so few of them with your child. Like any new parents, we counted toes, fingers, and compared facial features. Unlike most new parents, we were panicked during our time with our baby, rushing our goodbye as we raced the clock, fearing he would wither in our arms.
Sending our baby away to a “cool room” periodically for preservation was the only way to extend our time together, but that meant saying goodbye over and over. No matter what we did, the time we had with our son was incredibly limited. Rather than play a cruel game of goodbyes, we gathered all our courage and said a final farewell that required careful planning to carry out. And just like that, in just a few hours, Dean Curtis Strader had come and gone.
In an effort to navigate out of this dark existence, I have attended support groups and brought meals to others in need. Now I’m launching this effort, to purchase an in-room cooling device for central Ohio hospitals to loan to families living the nightmare of losing their infant. The in-room cooling device is called a “Cuddle Cot ” and can discretely keep a baby cool in a bassinet during the hospital stay. This device allows the family to take the time they need to say goodbye and gain closure.
With $2764 we will be able to purchase one cuddle cot to serve a central Ohio hospital. Each $2764 thereafter will provide an additional unit for donation to a separate hospital. Hospitals being targeted for donations include The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Mount Carmel Hospitals, Grant Hospital and Riverside United Methodist.
This campaign was launched on my due date, August 5th, 2015, in honor of Dean Curtis Strader, forever in our hearts.
Leslie & Adam Strader
I worried when I realized that I had not felt kicking in the past day or so, but was hopeful I was wrong when I arrived at the hospital to be checked. Tragically, I wasn't wrong. My greatest fear was confirmed when the only heart beat the nurse could find was my own.
I was admitted into the hospital to be induced. There my husband and I experienced the worst moment of our lives, alongside rooms full of women experiencing the best moment of their own. There I laid on tear soaked pillows, staring at a wall as I endured 24 hours of labor that ended with a heart wrenching goodbye.
Few people have dared to ask what happened, how a healthy boy suddenly passes away. Most parents of stillborns do not receive an answer to this question. In our case, it was quickly discovered that there had been a “cord accident” – two knots were discovered in the cord. In addition, the cord was wrapped twice around his neck and tightly around his shoulder. As naïve as it sounds to myself now, I had never considered this outcome. I had only envisioned my happy future with this child in it.
Not one second is taken for granted when you have so few of them with your child. Like any new parents, we counted toes, fingers, and compared facial features. Unlike most new parents, we were panicked during our time with our baby, rushing our goodbye as we raced the clock, fearing he would wither in our arms.
Sending our baby away to a “cool room” periodically for preservation was the only way to extend our time together, but that meant saying goodbye over and over. No matter what we did, the time we had with our son was incredibly limited. Rather than play a cruel game of goodbyes, we gathered all our courage and said a final farewell that required careful planning to carry out. And just like that, in just a few hours, Dean Curtis Strader had come and gone.
In an effort to navigate out of this dark existence, I have attended support groups and brought meals to others in need. Now I’m launching this effort, to purchase an in-room cooling device for central Ohio hospitals to loan to families living the nightmare of losing their infant. The in-room cooling device is called a “Cuddle Cot ” and can discretely keep a baby cool in a bassinet during the hospital stay. This device allows the family to take the time they need to say goodbye and gain closure.
With $2764 we will be able to purchase one cuddle cot to serve a central Ohio hospital. Each $2764 thereafter will provide an additional unit for donation to a separate hospital. Hospitals being targeted for donations include The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Mount Carmel Hospitals, Grant Hospital and Riverside United Methodist.
This campaign was launched on my due date, August 5th, 2015, in honor of Dean Curtis Strader, forever in our hearts.
Leslie & Adam Strader
Organizer
Leslie Strader
Organizer
Columbus, OH
