The baby loss charity Abigail’s Footsteps has donated an Abi Cooling Cot to the Royal Hospital in Bromley in memory of baby Albie.
Families who suffer the tragedy of stillbirth will be able to spend precious time with their baby at the Royal Hospital in Bromley thanks to the donation of an ‘Abi Cooling cot.’
Abi Cooling Cot’s keep babies at a cooler temperature meaning that the child can stay with their parents for longer, giving families the chance to grieve and say goodbye in their own time.
Holly and Lee Gisby and their daughters, Daisy and Chloe recently visited the Princess Royal Hospital in Bromley to officially hand over the Abi Cooling Cot they had donated in their son Albie’s memory.
Holly Gisby said, “Finding out that Albie’s cot was used 3 days of being delivered to the Royal Hospital in Bromley made it even more special to us all. Knowing it has helped and brought comfort to other bereaved families already makes it even more worthwhile.”
Sara Hunt, Specialist Midwife for Pregnancy Loss at the Royal Hospital in Bromley said “The Abi Cooling Cot is fantastic and has already been a huge source of comfort to many families who have benefited from it. It has provided the opportunity for families to spend as much time as they need with their children and make precious memories. We cannot thank the family enough for this wonderful gift in Albie’s memory.”
The family have raised enough to donate a further two Abi Cots. They are going to a new hospital, The Metropolitan University Hospital in Birmingham, which opened on 6 October 2024.
Holly Gisby continued, “We now can’t wait for cots two and three to be delivered, so we can see these too. Our fundraising continues, to help to reach our target and donate cot number four. We are so thankful to all our friends, family and the local community, helping us raise enough money for two more cots. Knowing they are going to a new hospital makes it even more special to us and being able to donate two more Cooling Cots is a dream come true. Albie’s name will live on in this hospital and we hope these cots bring some comfort to other families”.
David Ward, Chief Executive, of Abigail’s Footsteps, said, “When we had Abigail we only had two or three hours with her, the Abi Colling 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.”
To find out more about Abigail’s Footsteps, please visit: www.abigailsfootsteps.co.uk and to discuss how you could help fundraise for an Abi Cooling Cot please contact: faye.hill@abigailsfootsteps.co.uk
About the Abi Cooling Cot
Donations allow Abigail’s Footsteps to distribute Abi Cooling cots to hospitals across the country. The Abi Cooling Cot keeps the baby at a cooler temperature meaning that the child can stay with their parents for longer, giving families the chance to grieve and say goodbye in their own time.
The Abi Cot is produced by The Bond Group who are based in Sheerness, Kent and every donated cold cot includes an engraved plaque, in memory of a family’s loss.
www.abigailsfootsteps.co.uk/professionals/cold-cots-for-hospitals
About Abigail’s Footsteps
Abigail’s Footsteps is a Kent based baby loss charity providing support and counselling for bereaved parents and families as well as specialist bereavement training for midwives and healthcare professionals.
The charity was founded by parents Jo and David Ward following the death of their daughter Abigail Ward who was stillborn at 41 weeks.
Since 2010, they charity has worked to improve the way bereaved parents are cared for by hospitals and to better educate midwives about how to care for grieving parents. Sadly, stillbirths occur daily, yet many hospitals are not equipped to deal with the parental care required.
By working with medical professionals to understand the issues and seek solutions Abigail’s Footsteps has helped many families across the UK.
