Family turns grief into hope with donation of cooling cots
A couple have donated specialist cots to a West Midlands NHS Trust which allows grieving families to spend precious time with their newborn after they have died.
Holly and Lee Gisby, from Hockley, Essex, gifted two Abi Cooling Cots to the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital’s maternity department, in memory of their son Albie, who they lost at 39 weeks in July 2023.
The cot, developed by the charity Abigail’s Footsteps after the founders suffered baby loss themselves, is a specially designed refrigerated unit that slows the natural changes to a baby’s body, giving families invaluable time to bond, say goodbye, and create lasting memories during a difficult time.
During their grief, Holly and Lee found consolation in the precious three days they were able to spend with Albie, thanks to the Cooling Cot that allowed them to create lifelong memories and say goodbye in their own time.
“We’d never heard of cold cots before this happened, it was another world,” Holly explained. “We were determined to help other families facing similar heartbreak. Lee along with family and friends, kicked off a fundraising campaign by running the London Landmarks Half Marathon.”
A community-wide fundraising effort soon followed, with cake sales, sweet stalls, and a heartwarming charity gala in June 2024, altogether raising £3,500.
The donation to the Midland Met, part of Sandwell and West Birmingham (SWB) NHS Trust, felt particularly meaningful to the couple. They discovered that the new hospital in Smethwick, is located close to an inner-city district of Birmingham that shares its name with their village back in Essex – Hockley.
“After donating our first cot to a hospital in Bromley, we decided to donate our second and third cots to this brand-new hospital,” Holly said. “It’s amazing to know that these cots are going to be helping other parents and give them the same opportunities that we had in hospital.”
Receiving the cots on behalf of the Midland Met, Vicky Weaver, the Trust’s Bereavement Lead Midwife, said: “These cots are more than just medical equipment; they are a lifeline for parents, allowing them to spend precious time with their babies and begin the difficult journey of grief.”
David Ward MBE, Co-Founder of Abigail’s Footsteps, said: “We are very proud to donate two Mark 4 Abi Cooling Cots to the new Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. When we had Abigail, we only had two or three hours with her. The Abi Cot allows people to have two or three days if they wish. Abigail’s Footsteps is committed to providing an Abi Cooling Cot to all hospitals across the UK. Each special cot costs £3,000 and thanks to the generosity of those who fundraise for us, we have to date been able to donate over 200 cots to hospitals across the UK.”
Holly and Lee are continuing their fundraising efforts and welcome donations to fund more cots for other bereaved parents.
To donate, visit: justgiving.com/page/lee-gisby-1704720191092
