Cuddle Cot for William's birthday
Donation protected
On July 16th, 2018, our world came crashing down as we headed to hospital thinking our little boy was on his way only to find out he was already gone at 40+3 weeks gestation. After finding out our son's heart stopped beating, I was induced that same day. I was in labor for 15 hours before getting an epidural. 4 hours later, it was time to push. With the help of my husband on one side holding my hand and our nurse, Jeanne, on the other holding my other one, and Dr. Anupol (forever our favorite doctor in the world) delivering him, William Augustus Murphy was born at 9:22am on July 17th, 2018. He was/is the most beautiful baby I've ever laid my eyes on. While in the hospital, our wonderful nurses cared for our William in the most loving of ways, dressing him in his beautiful gown and laying him in the most beautiful basket. During those first 24 hours, we were faced with so many choices we had to make that no parent is ever prepared to do. We did not know why William passed away, he was a perfect baby with a perfect pregnancy. We couldn't spend more than the 24 hours with William or else he wouldn't be viable for an autopsy. I was devastated not wanting William to leave but if we wanted answers we had to do so quickly. So on July 18th, 2018 we said goodbye to our son forever, giving him one last rocking in my arms and one last kiss to last a lifetime.
Later, after leaving the hospital and doing tons of research, I found out about a machine called a Cuddle Cot.
The CuddleCot is a cooling pad that is placed in any Moses basket, crib, bed or other receptacle. It is connected by a specially insulated hose and is quietly cooled using the CuddleCot cooling unit. The CuddleCot system comes in its own carry case with two sizes of cooling pad for premature and full term babies. The CuddleCot cools to an ideal temperature for preserving baby without being too cold for the parents.
In our case, if we had a Cuddle Cot, William could have stayed with us until we were discharged from the hospital the following day. Looking back on those highly emotional days, there's so much I wish I would have done and given the time, I may have been able to do those things. We want to give other grieving parents who will unfortunately have to be in our shoes someday, the opportunity, the choice, to keep their little one with them and preserve every single moment they can until they don't have any moments left.
For William's birthday, we don't get to buy a cake, throw a party with cute little decorations, invite family and friends, watch him try to walk or stand or laugh, take tons of photos, or help him open gifts of way too many toys he doesn't need. Instead, our arms our empty and our hearts are still just as broken.
So, since we cannot do the things we would want to do, we would like to put that money that would have been spent on his birthday, and put it towards something healing and powerful in his memory, a Cuddle Cot.
I wish no one would ever have to go through what we have gone through, but unfortunately 1 in 160 pregnancies will end up just like us. So, I would like to give you all the opportunity to take part in this powerful giving back in honor and memory of William or in honor or memory of anyone you would like.
If you would like to donate but not through here, you are so very welcome to mail it as well.
Later, after leaving the hospital and doing tons of research, I found out about a machine called a Cuddle Cot.
The CuddleCot is a cooling pad that is placed in any Moses basket, crib, bed or other receptacle. It is connected by a specially insulated hose and is quietly cooled using the CuddleCot cooling unit. The CuddleCot system comes in its own carry case with two sizes of cooling pad for premature and full term babies. The CuddleCot cools to an ideal temperature for preserving baby without being too cold for the parents.
In our case, if we had a Cuddle Cot, William could have stayed with us until we were discharged from the hospital the following day. Looking back on those highly emotional days, there's so much I wish I would have done and given the time, I may have been able to do those things. We want to give other grieving parents who will unfortunately have to be in our shoes someday, the opportunity, the choice, to keep their little one with them and preserve every single moment they can until they don't have any moments left.
For William's birthday, we don't get to buy a cake, throw a party with cute little decorations, invite family and friends, watch him try to walk or stand or laugh, take tons of photos, or help him open gifts of way too many toys he doesn't need. Instead, our arms our empty and our hearts are still just as broken.
So, since we cannot do the things we would want to do, we would like to put that money that would have been spent on his birthday, and put it towards something healing and powerful in his memory, a Cuddle Cot.
I wish no one would ever have to go through what we have gone through, but unfortunately 1 in 160 pregnancies will end up just like us. So, I would like to give you all the opportunity to take part in this powerful giving back in honor and memory of William or in honor or memory of anyone you would like.
If you would like to donate but not through here, you are so very welcome to mail it as well.
Organizer
Sarah Murphy
Organizer
Milford, PA