By SARAH SCULLY

When Connie and Sam Brown’s son Edward was delivered stillborn in July last year, their lives were turned upside down.

The overwhelming wave of shock and pain left them unable to think straight.

But, when the fog cleared, they were grateful for one thing: the hospital had a Cuddle Cot.

A Cuddle Cot cooling system allows babies ‘born sleeping’ to remain with their families, rather than being cooled in a mortuary.

Connie and Sam have channelled some of their grief into fundraising to buy Cuddle Cots for regional hospitals that do not have the same equipment as city hospitals.

Connie and Sam, who live in Melbourne, visited Horsham on Friday to donate a Cuddle Cot to Wimmera Base Hospital’s Yandilla ward.

The kit features an engraved plaque bearing Edward’s name and date of birth.

“I really like the idea of my cot coming to a country hospital to help the mothers out here, who otherwise would be forgotten and wouldn’t have as much time with their babies as we did,” Connie said.

“Edward’s name is engraved on a plaque on the kit. His name is out here, his story is out here. It’s helping.”

Connie and Sam had Edward for two and a half days after he was born.

“Because he died in birth and not in utero, he didn’t start to deteriorate until after he was born,” Connie said.

“Most families only have a day, so I guess in that way we were lucky, to have that time with him.

“I heard there was another couple who didn’t have a cot in their hospital and they only had nine hours with their baby.

“That was my initial motivation to fundraise for a cot, because I thought that’s just not fair. When it happens, you’re in such a state of shock you’re not really thinking about what you need to do, which is make the memories.”

Sam said the emotions were so overwhelming, you needed someone to think for you.

“I know when it happened to us I wasn’t interested in doing anything,” he said.

“I wanted to forget it ever happened, really.

“It was only through the hospital getting photographers in and things like that… now you look back and they’re the memories you hold onto.”

Horsham midwife Krystyna Wesolek said the hospital offered a range of options for parents coming to terms with a stillborn baby.

“We can do handprints and footprints, and locks of hair if the baby has any,” she said.

“We offer quilts for parents, to choose one as a memory, and we have teddies. We also take photographs. Sometimes people are a bit aghast. They don’t want to look at them originally, but they look at them later, which is great.”

Mrs Wesolek said Yandilla staff were grateful for the Browns’ gift.

“It is a beautiful gesture that will enable bereaved Wimmera families to have more precious time with their babies,” she said.